Traditional Residential Buildings Research Articles

A Numerical Simulation Study on the Out-of-Plane Performance of Timber Framework–Brick Wall Systems in Traditional Residential Buildings of Northern China

To improve the out-of-plane collaborative performance of timber frames and walls, a metal connector is proposed and designed. A finite element model of the wall is established, and the composite block damage criteria and surface contact behavior are validated. Additionally, one group without metal connectors and three groups with different numbers of metal connectors placed at various positions in traditional residential wall models are established. Using static loading simulation, the influence of different numbers of metal connectors on the out-of-plane damage patterns, deformation characteristics, and shear force distribution is analyzed. The study reveals that top metal connectors significantly reduce the out-of-plane displacement of the top wall by up to 84.6%. Metal connectors have a significant impact on the deformation capacity of brick walls, with a maximum enhancement of 65.3%. The metal connectors in the middle and lower parts transfer the wall loads to the columns, increasing the horizontal shear at the column head by approximately 7%. The connectors in the middle and lower parts effectively improve the collaborative performance of brick walls and wooden frames.

The Extraction of Roof Feature Lines of Traditional Chinese Village Buildings Based on UAV Dense Matching Point Clouds

Traditional Chinese buildings serve as a carrier for the inheritance of traditional culture and national characteristics. In the context of rural revitalization, achieving the 3D reconstruction of traditional village buildings is a crucial technical approach to promoting rural planning, improving living environments, and establishing digital villages. However, traditional algorithms primarily target urban buildings, exhibiting limited adaptability and less ideal feature extraction performance for traditional residential buildings. As a result, guaranteeing the accuracy and reliability of 3D models for different types of traditional buildings remains challenging. In this paper, taking Jingping Village in Western Hunan as an example, we propose a method that combines multiple algorithms based on the slope segmentation of the roof to extract feature lines. Firstly, the VDVI and CSF algorithms are used to extract the building and roof point clouds based on the MVS point cloud. Secondly, according to roof features, village buildings are classified, and a 3D roof point cloud is projected into 2D regular grid data. Finally, the roof slope is segmented via slope direction, and internal and external feature lines are obtained after refinement through Canny edge detection and Hough straight line detection. The results indicate that the CSF algorithm can effectively extract the roofs of I-shaped, L-shaped, and U-shaped traditional buildings. The accuracy of roof surface segmentation based on slope exceeds 99.6%, which is significantly better than the RANSAC algorithm and the region segmentation algorithm. This method is capable of efficiently extracting the characteristic lines of roofs in low-rise buildings within traditional villages. It provides a reference method for achieving the high-precision modeling of traditional village architecture at a low cost and with high efficiency.

Climate Adaptation Analysis and Comfort Optimization Strategies for Traditional Residential Buildings in Hot-Summer, Cold-Winter Regions: A Case Study in Xuzhou, China

Climate change and the energy crisis have catalyzed the architectural industry’s consideration of green and energy-efficient buildings. With the continuous deepening and expansion of research, people have gradually realized the reference value of the passive design strategies embedded in traditional residential buildings for contemporary architectural design and renovation. This paper takes the traditional residential buildings on Hubu Mountain, Xuzhou, as its research object, and explores their thermal and wind environment characteristics through field investigations and software simulation analysis. It is found that Xuzhou’s traditional houses have good temperature regulation, with fluctuations of about 5 °C indoors and 10 °C outdoors in summer and about 7 °C indoors and 12 °C outdoors in winter. Their form, material and structure are well adapted to the local climate. There is also a need to optimize the buildings’ moisture resistance and ventilation for better comfort. Subsequently, this study analyzes the climate adaptability features in traditional building construction techniques and then extracts climate adaptability methods, proposing targeted optimization and renovation suggestions, aiming to contribute to the sustainable development of architecture and ecology.

Research on the Indoor Thermal Environment of Several Traditional Chinese Residential Buildings

To study the indoor thermal environment characteristics and influencing factors of traditional Chinese residential buildings, the existing research studies on the indoor thermal environment of traditional residential buildings were collected and organized, and the relevant measured data was extracted using GetDate software. After data analysis, the construction characteristics of brick and wood structures, wood structures, and raw soil structures were summarized. The indoor and outdoor temperature changes of the residential buildings in summer and winter were revealed. Finally, the indoor thermal environment characteristics and influencing factors of three types of traditional residential buildings were summarized. The research results can provide a reference for the construction and low-carbon renovation of traditional residential buildings.

Optimization and Renovation Design of Indoor Thermal Environment in Traditional Houses in Northeast Sichuan (China)—A Case Study of a Three-Section Courtyard House

The three-section courtyard is the most representative traditional residence in the traditional villages in northeast Sichuan. As a unique cultural landscape, it carries the local historical style and cultural connotation. However, the high temperature weather in summer leads to a poor thermal environment in traditional residential buildings, which cannot meet the needs of building users for human thermal comfort, and the wall is the most critical factor affecting the indoor thermal environment. Therefore, to optimise the indoor thermal environment of traditional residential buildings, this study designed four groups of wall renovation schemes according to the original traditional residential buildings and modern technology, and simulated and verified the feasibility of the building renovation schemes by using Design Builder. Then, the four groups of wall renovation schemes were compared and tested based on the Design Builder. Comparative results of the thermal-performance evaluation index revealed that compared with Case 1 and Case 2, the building refrigeration energy consumption of Case 3 in the hottest week was the least, only 427.7 kW·h, which indicates that the external wall renovation scheme using aerated concrete blocks had the best thermal insulation and energy-saving effects. The cooling energy consumption of Case 4 in the hottest week was 422 kW·h, which was 4.3 kW·h less than that of Case 3, indicating that the wall renovation scheme with an air inter-layer had better thermal insulation and energy-saving effects. The refrigeration energy consumption of Case 7 in the hottest week was only 409.8 kW·h, which was 4.19% lower than Case 3 (without insulation material), indicating that the scheme of selecting central insulation and extruded polystyrene board (XPS) had better thermal insulation and energy-saving effects in practical projects. In summary, the above transformation scheme not only improves the indoor thermal environment of traditional residential buildings, but also provides guidance for architectural designers on green, energy-saving and sustainable design.

A study on the block pattern and spatial characteristics of gara in Surat, India

Surat is a major port and trading city in the northwestern state of Gujarat, India, boasting a rich multicultural background where colonial, religious, and commercial cultures coexist. Field research conducted on the historical districts of Surat indicates that the traditional residential buildings in Surat are not havelis; rather, their planar features bear a remarkable similarity to shophouses in Southeast Asia. The urban formation, spatial pattern of historical blocks, and architectural characteristics of Surat were thoroughly analyzed at three levels: macro, meso, and micro, using methods such as the examination of historical maps, reading historical literature, gathering oral histories, and conducting field investigations. The analysis of the political culture of Asian port cities reveals that Surat has been involved in cross-cultural exchanges in Asia. Through document analysis, the study delves into the formation process of Surat City and the spatial pattern of its historical blocks. To gain a comprehensive understanding, an exploration of the types of planes and profiles of the existing gara cases was carried out, along with a study of the spatial characteristics and evolution of gara. Finally, a comparative analysis between gara and the local architecture haveli was conducted, examining the factors for gara formation from multiple aspects, such as politics, religion, and policy. It can be concluded that the formation of Surat’s city and architecture was not only influenced by the spread of Asian culture at that time but also integrated with local traditional characteristics.

Passive sustainability strategies in traditional Gaziantep residences: a critical report on historical development

Abstract In recent years, the increase in the need for energy and the rapid depletion of energy resources have revealed that energy control in buildings is of vital importance. This situation requires energy efficiency not only in new buildings but also in existing building stocks. For this reason, passive strategic measures affecting thermal comfort and energy efficiency in historical buildings built in Gaziantep in the late 18th and early 19th centuries have been evaluated in this study. First, the cultural, technological and natural images of the region that are effective in the development of these strategies were identified. The reflection of these images on architectural design and the parameters affecting energy use as a result were revealed. In order to examine the effect of passive strategy measures in the spaces, a field study was carried out on a selected Gaziantep traditional residential building. For the field study, measurements were taken from the selected building and the street every hour during the day. These measurements have been made under the following conditions: sunny inside the courtyard, sunny outside the courtyard, shade inside the courtyard and shade outside the courtyard. Afterwards, all measurements have been compared. As a result, it is concluded that the courtyard systems that form the cultural, technological and natural image of the region have a great effect on thermal comfort.

Research on the Spatial Characteristics of Traditional Residential Buildings in Ningxia Region

Research on the Spatial Characteristics of Traditional Residential Buildings in Ningxia Region

Comparing the Past and Present Traces of Cultural Assets with the Reference of Literature and Architecture Arts to Each Other: Milas Greek Orthodox Church and Its Surroundings in Resat Nuri Güntekin s Novel Ateş Gecesi (Night of Fire)

Milas district, located in the province of Muğla, is a rich settlement in terms of historical and cultural monuments. Among the mentioned monuments in the settlement, especially religious monuments exhibit a great diversity and cover a wide range of historical periods. This diversity and historical range are directly related to cultural and religious communities that have lived in the region. However, some religious monuments in the district are disappearing or losing their architectural identities to a great extent due to reasons such as lack of preservation awareness, property issues, and neglect by users. One of the most important religious monuments that has largely lost its architectural identity in the Milas district is the Milas Greek Orthodox Church. This monument holds significant importance in Milas's cultural and religious inventory. The monument and its surroundings are also described in some parts of the plots in terms of some architectural features in Reşat Nuri Güntekin's novel Ateş Gecesi (Night of Fire), which was serialized in Yedigün Magazine in 1940 and published as a book in 1942. Although it has largely lost its architectural identity today, the Milas Greek Orthodox Church is still frequently mentioned in local legends, city memories, place and location names, and city literature, as can be seen in the pages of the "Ateş Gecesi" novel. The study aims to document and evaluate the changes that the Milas Greek Orthodox Church and its surroundings have undergone from past to present in the light of the "Ateş Gecesi" novel. The study was conducted in three stages, which involved examining the spatial and architectural descriptions mentioned in the Ateş Gecesi Novel, focusing on the narratives related to the Milas Greek Orthodox Church and its surroundings, and documenting and evaluating the current conditions of the spatial and architectural descriptions mentioned in the focused narratives. As a result of the study, it was determined that the Milas Rum Orthodox Church and its surroundings had largely lost their architectural identity over approximately a century, from the time the novel was written to the present day. However, within the interior space of the church structure, many elements related to the original architectural identity are still present. In contrast, it is considered that the outer walls, garden arrangement, and boundaries of the structure have lost their original qualities. It was also found that very few examples of traditional residential buildings that constitute the regional context have survived to the present day. In addition to its cultural and religious identity, the Milas Rum Orthodox Church necessitates the development of a comprehensive architectural conservation approach for its historical and archaeological context, monument, and immediate surroundings. Therefore, it is considered crucial to plan the region between the Milas Rum Orthodox Church and Milas Kartal Gazinosu, taking into account the Çaputçu Han section, with a comprehensive conservation approach.

Qiao borrow "shape" potential —— Building renovation design based on traditional dwellings in northern Guangxi

The northern Guangxi region has beautiful scenery, and its special landform type and the cultural characteristics of multi-ethnic settlement give birth to the traditional architectural culture with distinct regional characteristics. The traditional dry dwellings in northern Guangxi take advantage of the landscape through the wooden pillars, so that the building is no longer restricted by the foundation of the house, and forms settlements between the complex landscape. Through the analysis of the structure vocabulary, the relationship between the building monomer and the mountain and the layout of the building settlement, this paper explores the out the path of integrating the abstract landscape environment view into the concrete architectural design, in order to enlighten the modern activation of the traditional residential buildings in northern Guangxi.

Investigation of indoor thermal comfort of heritage buildings in hot summer and cold winter zone of China: A case study

The heritage buildings of a country or region are frequently considered to be of value and significance to the current generation. This study investigates the winter indoor thermal comfort of heritage buildings in hot summer and cold winter zone of China. Field measurements and questionnaire surveys were used to conduct specific studies on the winter indoor thermal comfort of two typical traditional residential buildings (“Yinziwu” and “Diaojiaolou”) in the Yuan River basin heritage building area. The aim is to investigate the current status of building thermal comfort and provide a theoretical basis for promoting their sustainable development. The results show that 1) Indoor air temperatures in both types of buildings are significantly and positively correlated in winter, but both are below the human thermal comfort range. 2) Mean air temperatures measured in "Yinziwu" and "Diaojiaolou" are 8.8 °C and 9.4 °C, respectively, with neutral air temperatures of 11.1 °C and 13.8 °C. 3) Thermal sensation, thermal preference, and thermal comfort were significantly correlated in the two buildings, with ooccupants experiencing the coldest phase from 7:00–11:00 and the warmest phase from 15:00–19:00 daily. 4) "Yinziwu" occupants are more tolerant of the cold climate.

FDS-Based Study of the Fire Performance of Huizhou Fire Seal Walls in Traditional Residential Buildings in Southern China

In the history of human civilization, traditional villages and buildings have been significantly threatened by fire. As an essential part of Huizhou traditional architecture, fire seal walls play a crucial role in preserving Huizhou architecture by effectively blocking the spread of fire. However, with economic and social development, the Huizhou fire seal wall’s original fire prevention function has been unable to meet the needs of modern fire protection. This study aims to explore the fire performance of different types of Huizhou fire seal walls to provide a reference guide for future fire protection, optimization, and transformation of traditional buildings. In this paper, 3D models of traditional buildings with fire seal walls were built with FDS, and the performance of the different kinds of fire seal walls was simulated under the influence of wind speeds, building spacing, and the height of the vertical ridge of the fire seal wall. The results showed that, under the same conditions, a fire seal wall with a single eave is superior to fire seal walls with quintuple eaves in terms of performance, and fire seal walls with quintuple eaves are superior to fire seal walls with triple eaves in the middle and late stages of a fire. In addition, wind speeds, building spacing, and the height of the vertical ridge have different effects on the fire performance of seal walls. Lower wind speeds can reduce the fire performance of fire seal walls, and no wind and higher wind speeds have no significant effect on the fire performance of fire seal walls, while increasing the height of the vertical ridge and fire spacings appropriately can improve the fire performance of fire seal walls. This study provides a reference guide for future fire protection, optimization, and transformation of Huizhou fire seal walls, which can help improve the fire safety of traditional buildings.

Renovation of Traditional Residential Buildings in Lijiang Based on AHP-QFD Methodology: A Case Study of the Wenzhi Village

The rapid growth of tourism has led to the transformation of numerous traditional dwellings in Yunnan into commercial lodgings, presenting a challenge to the preservation and inheritance of traditional culture. However, the existing renovation practices lack scientific data support and rely heavily on architects’ subjective designs. Thus, finding a scientific and stable approach to maintain the traditional residential characteristics becomes crucial. This study focuses on the renovation of Wenzhi villagers’ residences in Yunnan as a case study. It employs the innovative AHP-QFD design methodology to explore a more scientific and objective method for preserving and promoting the features of traditional dwellings in commercial renovations. Initially, the study assigns weights to the commercial renovation objectives—local traditional features, architectural functions, sustainability, and comfort—using the hierarchical analysis method (AHP). Subsequently, specific design features are derived from transformation requirements through interviews and questionnaires with residents, tourists, government officials, and experts. The innovation of this research lies in the application of AHP and QFD models to the innovative design of commercial renovations for traditional dwellings in Yunnan, resulting in a set of systematic and scientifically supported decision-making methods for renovating and preserving traditional buildings in the region. The study’s findings reveal that building geometry and dimensions, skilled traditional craftsmanship, and flexible and expandable solutions carry the highest weight in design. The application of the AHP-QFD model in commercial transformation design effectively balances the preservation of traditional culture and the pursuit of commercial value. It offers a feasible and innovative design solution for commercial transformations of traditional houses in the Yunnan region, ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage while enhancing commercial appeal.

Research on the Application of Intelligent Computer Technology in Minority Traditional Residential Buildings

Research on the Application of Intelligent Computer Technology in Minority Traditional Residential Buildings

Satisfaction among the Elderly Living in the Ancient Town of Xiangxi

This exploratory study combines the elderly-friendly post-use evaluation theory with the specific context of traditional residential buildings in typical Tujia ancient towns in the Western Hunan region, namely, Furong, Liexi, Xichehe, and Liye. A post-use low satisfaction evaluation model of traditional residential buildings in ancient towns was constructed, and the importance ranking of evaluation factors, along with the importance analysis of secondary indicators, was discussed using statistical methods. The subjective evaluations of elderly residents in different ancient towns toward the living environment and the importance ranking of factors for low satisfaction were examined. The findings of this study showed that we should focus on safety, convenience, health, privacy, belonging and cultural factors, and factors influencing sustainable livability for improving the quality of life of elderly residents in Tujia ancient towns in Western Hunan. Finally, the study proposes targeted improvement strategies to guide the construction of elderly-friendly environments in Tujia ancient towns and provide a reference for low satisfaction evaluations of ancient towns in similar economically underdeveloped areas.

Evolutionary analysis of stakeholder behavior in green retrofitting of traditional residential buildings based on dissemination and game models.

To achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in China, green retrofitting of traditional residential buildings is the one of the important ways. Therefore, the dynamics process of the change of the resident group intention to retrofit and its impact on the behavior of the tripartite game between the government, investment retrofitting enterprises and residents needs to be analyzed. Firstly, a dissemination model of green retrofitting intentions among resident groups is constructed, and it is coupled with the tripartite game model. Then, through numerical simulation, the dissemination laws of intention for green retrofitting among resident groups and its influence on the evolution process of the tripartite game are analyzed. The results show that: (1) The rate at which the triad of government, investment retrofitting enterprises and residents reaches steady state is influenced by the impact of changes in the level of social climate on the rate of conversion of potential and participating residents to immune residents. When the rate of enterprises investment and residents participation increases, the rate of government choice of incentive strategies decreases; (2) greater government regulation and subsidies will increase the intention of residents and retrofitting enterprises to participate. The ideal steady state without government incentives can be achieved when the group size of participating residents is increased by improving the level of government publicity and education and the technology level of the enterprises; (3) the intention of enterprises to invest is closely related to the cognitive benefits and the level of risk perception of residents. The conclusions of the study can be used as a reference for the government to make green retrofitting policies for traditional residential buildings.

The Application and Development of Traditional Residential Building Symbols in Modern Environmental Design

Computer-Aided Design and Applications is an international journal on the applications of CAD and CAM. It publishes papers in the general domain of CAD plus in emerging fields like bio-CAD, nano-CAD, soft-CAD, garment-CAD, PLM, PDM, CAD data mining, CAD and the internet, CAD education, genetic algorithms and CAD engines. The journal is aimed at all developers and users of CAD technology to ptovide CAD solutions for various stages of design and manufacturing. The journal publishes all about Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided technologies.

Reconstruction Design of Taicang Traditional Dwellings Based on Cultural Inheritance

Under the social background of urban-rural relationship reconstruction, the hollowing out of traditional villages is developing rapidly, which makes the traditional residential buildings in China uninhabited and unrepaired due to the influence of economic and cultural factors. The rural revitalization strategy provides inspiration for the architectural design of traditional residential buildings, that is, focusing on cultural heritage and making traditional residential buildings modern. Effective protection of the traditional features of traditional houses is the most basic criterion for the protection planning of famous historical and cultural villages. If only the space protection planning is carried out, and the development of villages based on houses cannot be fully considered, it will undoubtedly cause great damage to traditional villages. This paper discusses and studies how to do the activation and reuse project of Taicang traditional dwellings sustainably from the commercial point of view, so that the transformed object can regain its vitality and vitality, and can further carry out a virtuous circle as a commercial project stably and healthily in the later period, providing new social and commercial values to the surrounding environment, community and local residents.

Investigation of daylight performance in traditional residential buildings in the context of EN- 17037 standard - Sivas Hubiyar Korucu Mansion

Daylight is an integral part of our lives as the most important element in places. Efficient and appropriate use of daylight reduces the need for adequate illumination of the volumes and artificial lighting. Today, windows that are not designed correctly cause energy waste by increasing the use of artificial lighting instead of natural lighting. The seriousness of this situation is increasing today and regulations and standards regarding daylight use are published. The disappearance of this traditional Turkish architecture has also reduced the effective use of natural light. Study is focused on daylight penetration in traditional Turkish houses in the context of EN-17037 and a traditional Turkish house evaluated as case study. Natural lighting measurements of the selected building were calculated using the daylight simulation program, at 09:00, 12:00 and 15:00 for the months of March 21, June 21, September 21, and December 21 under average sky conditions. In line with the results obtained from the simulation program, the illumination levels (Lux), daylight factor (DF) and daylight performance classification (%) of the spaces are presented. As a result of the evaluation made in the context of EN 17037 standard, attention was drawn to the importance of openings as windows in traditional Turkish houses. And additionaly, architectural similarities and differences with the contemporary building is highlighted in results.

The Impact of Passive Solar Shading Elements in Traditional Residential Buildings of Aegean Region

The use of sun shading elements frequently seen in the residential tradition of the Aegean region. Controllable traditional venetian blinds (shutters) carried to the present through periodic changes are prominent design elements of the architectural heritage. This study aims to understand the effectiveness of these traditional sun control elements in terms of energy efficiency in the cooling season within three different locations (north, mid, and south Aegean coast), and daylighting illuminance level adaptations in Izmir, mid Aegean coast area, with 2 different materials, and 3 different blind angles. To obtain data, on-site measurements conducted in the field of interest. The sunshade illuminance level measurements of the studied residential example used as a source for more effective use of IES (VE) energy models before testing further variations. The main objective is to comprehend one of the traditional methods of coping with the effect of the sun and to understand the reasons from a technical point of view for future adaptations. As a result of the analysis carried out on the most critical days of sunlight, the evaluation of solar shading elements in terms of daylighting balance and cooling loads in traditional houses, will provide us the understanding of the effect of sun control variations in the defined temperate climate region. Tested methodology will guide future case studies.