This study presents a simplified method of morphological analysis and mapping of the urban fabric to assist in the study of the climatology and impact of the urban form on the energy demand of buildings. Different parameters have been applied in the analysis of the urban geometry in order to make a cartography of morphologically homogeneous areas, each one presenting a different type of influence on the energy demand of buildings. In the first stage of the study, the morphological parameters were automated and calculated using a geographical information system software. The morphological results obtained through a case study in Maceió, Alagoas, were analyzed using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), which allowed the identification of the significance of the parameters for the urban context. Through a Clustering Analysis, different typological configurations were grouped, classified and then submitted to computational simulations to estimate the buildings' energy demand. Six morphological indicators were maintained and five typological classes representative of the urban fabric of Maceió were highlighted. The study indicated that three main morphological parameters have a major impact: total built density, verticality, compactness and the mean prospectus.
Urban form; GIS; Urban climate; Buildings energy efficiency
