The impact of building enclosure type and building orientation on indoor thermal comfort ---A case study of Kashgar in China

Abstract

Gaotai dwellings are the most important representative of dwellings in Xinjiang. It is an important evidence for studying the living customs and architectural features of ethnic minorities. The building enclosure type (BET) and building orientation (BO) are important factors that influence the indoor thermal comfort of the courtyard building. In this research, 20 test scenarios are simulated through field investigation and virtual simulation integrated in the software to grasp the influence of BET and BO on indoor thermal environment. The conclusions are as follows: 1. The higher the degree of building enclosure, the higher the number of comfort hours and the better the comfort. 2. Each BET has its suitable orientation. The best orientation of “T” type is east, the best orientation of “I” type and “L” type is north, and the best orientation of “C” type and “O” type is south. 3. When the optimal BET is combined with its corresponding optimal orientation of the main room, the indoor thermal comfort will be greatly increased (comfort hours in winter and summer will increase by 62.9% and 37.1%).The conclusion of this study can provide flexible design ideas for courtyard buildings to improve the thermal comfort in Kashi.

Keywords

• Courtyard building
• Indoor thermal comfort
• Predicted mean vote
• Building enclosure type
• Building orientation