How Xi Engineering’s wind microclimate modelling helps shape safer, more comfortable high-rise environments

As Glasgow reshapes its skyline with ambitious high-rise developments, one critical question arises:

How will wind affect pedestrian safety, comfort, and building design?

The BBC has recently asked whether Glasgow is ready for skyscrapers—raising vital questions around planning and environmental impact. These are challenges we at Xi Engineering Consultants have been addressing for years.

 

Why Wind Microclimate Matters in Tall-Building Planning

 

Tall structures alter wind flow dramatically. Around their base, wind speeds can channel and accelerate, creating unsafe or unpleasant conditions for people.

Local planning authorities—including Glasgow—often require Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) that include wind microclimate assessments, guided by standards like the Lawson Comfort Criteria.

At Xi Engineering Consultants, we specialise in CFD-based wind microclimate modelling to evaluate these conditions from concept stage through to planning submission

Panoramic view of Glasgow city skyline with clusters of mid- and high-rise buildings under winter skies—an urban landscape where Xi Engineering’s CFD wind microclimate modelling ensures pedestrian comfort and safe design for tall developments.

Xi’s Proven Approach: CFD + Local Wind Statistics

1. Accurate 3D Geometry Modelling: We build high-fidelity models—based on GIS and architectural plans—to capture building massing and surrounding context necessary for precise wind-flow simulations.

2. Local Wind Data Integration: We incorporate historic wind data from nearby weather stations (like Glasgow and Edinburgh) into platforms like SimScale to reflect real-world conditions.

3. CFD Simulation & Lawson Criteria Analysis: Our engineers run detailed CFD analyses, comparing results to pedestrian comfort thresholds. We identify zones of potential discomfort or hazard—especially important in Glasgow’s evolving tall-building corridors.

4. Testing Mitigation Strategies: We model practical solutions—canopies, wind screens, and building set-backs—to reduce adverse effects. Our award-winning Edinburgh project even ensured Santa’s sleigh could safely land!

 

From Edinburgh to Glasgow: Xi’s Proven Urban Expertise

 

Our award-winning Edinburgh microclimate study is a prime example of how Xi blends technical rigor with creativity: starting with a CFD simulation of wind flow above Edinburgh Castle, through Lawson criteria mapping, to wind-screen optimization—ultimately delivering safe pedestrian spaces.

This blend of tailored modelling, data-driven assessment, and iterative mitigation is exactly what Glasgow’s planning framework anticipates under its Tall-Building Design Guide and broader Greenprint for Investment.

CFD simulation showing wind flow velocities around urban buildings using SimScale, with red zones indicating high wind speeds and blue indicating calmer areas—part of Xi Engineering’s wind microclimate modelling to assess pedestrian comfort and mitigate wind risks in urban developments

Why Glasgow Developers Should Choose Xi

 

  • Proven track record in urban wind microclimate: from major city centres to iconic cultural quarters.
  • Regulatory alignment: our work directly supports Glasgow’s planning requirements—including tall-building submissions and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).
  • Iterative, collaborative approach: partnering with architects, planners, and design teams early helps avoid delays, costly redesigns, and planning refusals.
  • Local context awareness: our simulations leverage UK-based wind data and reflect the unique Scottish climate and urban morphology.

Case in Point: Transforming a Glasgow High-Rise Proposal

Planning a high-rise near Glasgow’s Riverside?

Here’s what Xi brings:

  1. We produce a digital 3D replica of your building and surroundings.
  2. Local wind simulations using Glasgow’s climate records
  3. Identification of high-risk zones for wind discomfort
  4. We test canopy shapes, screen heights, or green-screen options.
  5. You gain a robust, visually supported wind microclimate report for planners.
CFD simulation showing wind flow velocities around urban buildings using SimScale, with red zones indicating high wind speeds and blue indicating calmer areas—part of Xi Engineering’s wind microclimate modelling to assess pedestrian comfort and mitigate wind risks in urban developments

Let’s Build Glasgow’s Skyline—Safely

 

Glasgow city skyline viewed across the River Clyde on a clear, sunny day—an urban environment where Xi Engineering applies CFD wind microclimate modelling to support safe, comfortable design of high-rise developments in line with planning standards.

Xi Engineering Consultants stands ideally placed to support Glasgow’s skyline transformation.

Our CFD-driven wind microclimate expertise, combined with strong environmental credentials and a collaborative process, positions us as the trusted partner for developers navigating complex planning landscapes.

🔗 Let’s connect to embed wind-safe design into your next project—and build Glasgow’s skyline with confidence. Contact us today to talk about your plans.

 

Useful Links & References

 

More great articles and information from the Xi Engineering Consultants team:

Can Santa Visit Edinburgh? Or will the original ‘Windy City’ keep him from landing?

Xi’s Wind Microclimate Capabilities & Services  

 

External References:

[1] Realizing the potential for circularity in Glasgow through the socio-spatial dimension of urban systems (2024), by Carlos Soto, Craig S. Thomson, & Julius Uti Nchor, published in the Building Research & Information Journal.

[2] Tall Building Design Guide (2025) from the Glasgow City Council Property & Consultancy

[3] Glasgow Greenprint for Investment (2025) from Invest Glasgow.

[4] Could Glasgow’s skyline be set to change with skyscrapers? (2025) by the BBC