Exploring Microclimate Information in Urban Design Praxis: A Case Study in Brisbane, Australia

This article examines how microclimate information is interpreted and negotiated within early-stage inner-city densification design practice. Drawing on a structured workshop in Brisbane, eight practitioners from planning, urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture developed masterplans under realistic practice conditions. Qualitative, site-specific microclimate information was introduced after initial design decisions and outcomes were analysed using three-dimensional modelling and Urban Weather Generator simulations. Findings show that although practitioners recognised the relevance of microclimate considerations, established design strategies were rarely revised. Disciplinary orientation and feasibility concerns exerted stronger influence than climatic evidence. The study argues that contemporary modes of microclimate information delivery position climate as a retrospective validation tool rather than a formative driver of urban form, with implications for the design of practice-oriented microclimate tools.