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WREC 1996

THE BIOCLIM TIC FE TURES OF

VERN CUL R RCHITECTU RE IN CHIN

LI JING XI

INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE DESIGN AND URBANISM,

GENERAL CORP OF AEROSPACE & AERONAUTICS

ROOM 806, 14BUILDING, XIBAHEXILI, CHAOYANGQU, BEIJING,P.R.CHINA

Abstract The pape r presents an analysis of the form and climatic condit ions of two

traditional bu ildings in southern an d northern parts of China. The vern acu lar architecture

reflects the p rinciples for co ntempora ry bioclimatic design, such as the choice o f location,

insolation, wea ther seasonal protection, etc. It create s wonderful microclim ate for the

inhabitants. It show s the local traditional architecture as the most adeq uate and suitable

answer to the requ irements of envirome ntal and energy consumption need.

1 Introduction

Chinese philosophy is to l ive in harmon y with nature rathar than conquor it. , therefore

many ac tivit ies such as architecture need to be made compatible to the outside world. A s the

family is the basic unit of the m onarchal Chinese society, the house is the basic unit of

Chinese architecture.

2 The house characteristics of Beijing city

Beijing is located in the northem part of China with more than a thousond years of history.

It's a capital of four dynasties and new China. Through evolution of generations'

construction, Beijing comp oun d has all its room s close ly conn ected with a courtyard in the

centre. Since the Chinese p eople be lieve that the sk y is the circle and the land is the square,

the square outlay of house s is constructed with the house front facing south an d the b ack

facing north. Be ijing enjoys typica l continental clima te with cold, wind y and dry winter.

House s are built With local ma terials such as wood, grey bricks a nd dar k tiles. All the hous es

have the ir small and high Windows faced towards the streets, their doors and large windows

towards the courtyard. The tan g hall is a kind of l iving room, a place for family gathering

and reception. Since the winter wind comes from the north-west, the enclosed compou nd

prevents the strong wind from penetrating into the rooms. The thick walls and heavy roofs

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WREC 1996

also assure the minimu m thermal loss. The dark colou r of whole house absorbs more solar

enery in the winter. In summ er time, as the principle wind com es form the south, the cool

air blows into 'Tan g hall from large windows and doors, with warm air evapora ting

through the highe r windows. Roof eave s and porches make shadowes to prevent more

sunshine into the house. The space between roof and ceil ing acts as a con ductor for the

warm ness in winter and cooln ess in summer. Th e courtyard is paved with solid bdcks and

shaded in summer b y a large tree and other vegetations. The en veloped houses reduce dust

and noise to a minimum level, and create a comfortable condit ion for private life.

The clima te-base d guildline for archtecture design reflects less therma l loss, less wind

penetration in winter and more ventilatio n in summer, and is regard ed as an effective

strategy in local construction. Tod ay, many compou nds are arrang ed to form residential

blocks. They are still p rimary houses in central Be ijing .

3 The building characteristics in Suzhou city

In com pad sion with the houses in northern China, a private garden house in Shuzhou is

taken as examp le. The own ers of houses were the educated, official or merchant. The y built

up their houses in an artificial environment. The houses constitute only a pa rt of a garde n

compound. As the pdciple wind com es from the south-east, the climate is m oderate and

humid in this area. Several houses in the garden were closely connected by corridors or

walls. Th e m ain house with its front faced towards a lake or a courtyard stands on a platform

to keep the dampness away. The second stories are ready to mee t fresh air and more

sunshine. T he ste ep and sloping roofs enable the rain water to run quilkly. Roo f comers tilt

up to let more air blow into the house. Wide roof eaves prevent more sunshine from

penetration. The wh ite plastered wall reflects the strong sunshine. Th e large lattice windows

make daylighting more natural, ventilat ion much better. Sm all lake and t iny d ver absorb

overheating in daytime and produce cool air in the nigh t. A grove of native trees and

vegetations is created to retain and f i lter cool air, and to form a micro-climate in the garden.

4 Conclution:

The sp ecific case of traditional house is considered to be a repre sentative model o f

intergration betw een architecture processes and clim ate requirrnents. It is nec ess ary to

create a ne w architecture persp ectives for the nex t century. A d eep er understanding of

climate an d natrual com pon ents inside histodcal existing contexts is helpful in en hancin g

ecological awaren ess in mode m buiding design.

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WREC 1996

Average T (C)

Rainfall

I Rain

Sno w Days 1 7

3.8

1 5 3 8

Table [ :Climate Conditions in Beijing

Jan. June July Sept. ' Oct.eb. March April May Aug+ Nov. Dee.

-I,7 +1.9 4.8 I3.7 20,1 21.8 26.1 24.8 19.9 12.8 3.8 -2.8

3.5 1.7 8.4 I6.9 35.9 81.6 239.1 157,81 59.1 16.7 10.6 2.6

9.2 11,0 t3.8 I4.2 6 2 4 8 4.2 1.5

AlmnaL

Average

11.8

636.9

78,7

f Beijing compound

Fig 2 Exterior vie w Fig 3 Courtyard view

Feb. Sept. Oct Annual

Jan. March April May June July Aug qov i Dec Average

Averag e T( C) 3.1 4.3 8,4 I3.9 19. 1 23.0 27.8 28.1 24.1 18.1 .2.5 5.9 15.7

Rainfall ] 37.8 54.7 73.2 108.1 124.5 135.9 111.7 89 .1 152.51 49S ~ 7. 2 35.4 1039.4

Ra in Sn ow Days lS .l ] 9.1 11.6 t4.I 14.0 12.5 10+1 8+6 t0.9 | 9.2 8.9 8.5 125.6

I

Table 2;Climate Conditions in Suzlaou

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WREC 1996

i ' , ~ I F'g.4. Layout of a gardon house in suzhot

Fi9.5. V iew from the Gardon

eferences

1. The History of Chinese Architecture , Beijing, 1986.

2. Beijing, the Capital of China-China's Urban Reform Series , Beijing, 1990.

3. Hua Shouxi, Buiding and Climate , Journal of Science and Technology,1995.

4. Chen chongzhou, Comments on Gardon , Shanghai, 1986.

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