An Example of Ecological Wisdom in Historical Settlement: The Wind Environment of Huazhai Village in Taiwan

Abstract

During the initial developmental stage of historical settlement, residents used the principles of feng shui to locate suitable residence sites to ensure quality of life. Using Huazhai Village in Taiwan as a case study, this study explores the design philosophy of ancient Chinese people through scientific analysis. Research showed that the region was characterized by a windy climate. Therefore, a computational fluid dynamics model was used to simulate the local wind environment and restore the early architectural complex of the village. Compared to the current situation, it was demonstrated that the planning principles of the early buildings gave first priority to site selection. Second, with the village streets acting as a wind corridor, the angle of the streets was well utilized to strengthen outdoor ventilation in summer. Third, according to wind field characteristics at different locations, various opening directions and arrangement modes were applied in different areas to improve the wind field of the living environment. This ancient ecological wisdom provides current designers with a new strategy for living in harmony with nature, which may aid the design of sustainable living environments that adapt to the climate.

Keywords

• wind environment
• sustainable design
• cfd
• historical settlement
• taiwan