Effect of the spatial form of Jiangnan traditional villages on microclimate and human comfort

Abstract

The spatial form of a village can affect human comfort by changing microclimatic conditions, which in turn can affect the health of residents. The architectural forms of traditional Jiangnan villages have been adapted to local environmental and landscape characteristics, creating optimal thermal comfort conditions. However, these traditional forms are being lost in China's rapid drive toward urbanization and modernization, resulting in built environments that offer far less thermal comfort. To explore the elements of traditional adaptation, we conducted microclimate research in Shecun Village, Nanjing, and examined how the form of the surrounding landscape influenced the spatial layout of village streets and public spaces. Air temperature, relative humidity, and average wind speed were measured at locations around the village and were compared to similar data collected from a meteorological station in urban Nanjing. Based on these data, ENVI-met software was used to create a numerical simulation to demonstrate the relationship between the spatial forms of traditional Jiangnan villages and local microclimate factors. We found that the average physiological equivalent temperature (PET) values of all measurement points in the village in the summer were between 42°C and 48°C, and those in the winter were between 17°C and 20°C. In general, the thermal comfort in the winter was better than that in the summer, and the overall middle-level climate environment of the village in the winter and summer was comfortable. The PET values at different points followed the order of building complex space (MP1, 3 and 5) > vegetation space (MP2) > water space (MP4). The PET value was positively correlated with comfort sensation in winter, but this value had the opposite correlation in the summer. The average value of PET at the vegetation space was 3.18°C higher than that at the water space in the winter, which showed that the water body was beneficial for thermal comfort in the summer, but was the opposite in the winter. These results showed that the traditional village site selection in accordance with local conditions, made use of the surrounding landscape environment to provide villages with a more comfortable and pleasant living environment. This information provides a useful reference for the design of modern public spaces.