Outer facade finishes affect the energy balance in buildings and thermal conditions in urban environments. To rise to the challenges presently posed by climate change, strategies must be designed to reduce energy demand, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt the urban environment. As a substantial part of building envelopes, facades also play a predominant role in consolidated cities, for they impact thermal balance while also defining the outdoor space. Three optical parameters (colour, solar reflectance and emissivity) are studied to characterise the surface properties of enclosures and analyse their effect on three construction systems: the standard enclosure found on buildings in Madrid and two solutions to improve its thermal performance via energy rehabilitation. The findings show that since the surface features of elements govern temperature on outer facade surfaces, suitable design can lower the energy demand for thermal conditioning and improve both indoor and outdoor urban habitability. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.