Sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in China: Thermal comfort on-site testing and investigation

The sustainable renovation of traditional buildings is essential for cultural heritage conservation and green urbanization. This study examines traditional Hui minority dwellings in western China, comparing protected historic homes with modern self-built houses. By introducing the Thermal Comfort Ti...

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Main Authors: Wenyang Han, Yin Zhang, Yue Xie, Chang Yi, Yan Bai, Yiheng Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25008858
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author Wenyang Han
Yin Zhang
Yue Xie
Chang Yi
Yan Bai
Yiheng Liu
author_facet Wenyang Han
Yin Zhang
Yue Xie
Chang Yi
Yan Bai
Yiheng Liu
author_sort Wenyang Han
collection DOAJ
description The sustainable renovation of traditional buildings is essential for cultural heritage conservation and green urbanization. This study examines traditional Hui minority dwellings in western China, comparing protected historic homes with modern self-built houses. By introducing the Thermal Comfort Time Ratio (TCTR), the study quantitatively evaluates indoor thermal comfort and the effectiveness of passive design strategies. Key factors such as natural ventilation, building orientation, and envelope materials are analyzed. Results show that traditional protected dwellings have a TCTR of 1.96 %, while self-built houses reach 3.79 %. Optimized designs—including concrete walls, northwest orientation, and 900 × 1200 mm windows—enhance TCTR to 4.01 %, a 104.6 % improvement over traditional homes and 5.8 % over current self-built ones. Temperature retention also increases by 70.1 % and 62 % compared to traditional and self-built houses, respectively. Improved airflow further enhances thermal comfort. This research provides a performance-based framework for renovating ethnic dwellings sustainably, balancing thermal efficiency with cultural preservation. The findings offer guidance for low-carbon, climate-responsive design strategies applicable to traditional housing across diverse regions.
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publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Elsevier
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series Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
spelling doaj-art-ca4c23b1bdb34f0294a45db4dc4832972025-08-20T02:40:21ZengElsevierCase Studies in Thermal Engineering2214-157X2025-09-017310662510.1016/j.csite.2025.106625Sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in China: Thermal comfort on-site testing and investigationWenyang Han0Yin Zhang1Yue Xie2Chang Yi3Yan Bai4Yiheng Liu5School of Architecture, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610225, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610225, China; Corresponding author.Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Corresponding author.School of Architecture, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610225, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610225, ChinaSchool of Architecture, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610225, ChinaThe sustainable renovation of traditional buildings is essential for cultural heritage conservation and green urbanization. This study examines traditional Hui minority dwellings in western China, comparing protected historic homes with modern self-built houses. By introducing the Thermal Comfort Time Ratio (TCTR), the study quantitatively evaluates indoor thermal comfort and the effectiveness of passive design strategies. Key factors such as natural ventilation, building orientation, and envelope materials are analyzed. Results show that traditional protected dwellings have a TCTR of 1.96 %, while self-built houses reach 3.79 %. Optimized designs—including concrete walls, northwest orientation, and 900 × 1200 mm windows—enhance TCTR to 4.01 %, a 104.6 % improvement over traditional homes and 5.8 % over current self-built ones. Temperature retention also increases by 70.1 % and 62 % compared to traditional and self-built houses, respectively. Improved airflow further enhances thermal comfort. This research provides a performance-based framework for renovating ethnic dwellings sustainably, balancing thermal efficiency with cultural preservation. The findings offer guidance for low-carbon, climate-responsive design strategies applicable to traditional housing across diverse regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25008858Indoor thermal environmentThermal comfortBuilding optimizationField researchTraditional residenceArchitectural heritage
spellingShingle Wenyang Han
Yin Zhang
Yue Xie
Chang Yi
Yan Bai
Yiheng Liu
Sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in China: Thermal comfort on-site testing and investigation
Case Studies in Thermal Engineering
Indoor thermal environment
Thermal comfort
Building optimization
Field research
Traditional residence
Architectural heritage
title Sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in China: Thermal comfort on-site testing and investigation
title_full Sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in China: Thermal comfort on-site testing and investigation
title_fullStr Sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in China: Thermal comfort on-site testing and investigation
title_full_unstemmed Sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in China: Thermal comfort on-site testing and investigation
title_short Sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in China: Thermal comfort on-site testing and investigation
title_sort sustainable and protection renovation of hui traditional dwellings in china thermal comfort on site testing and investigation
topic Indoor thermal environment
Thermal comfort
Building optimization
Field research
Traditional residence
Architectural heritage
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25008858
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AT yinzhang sustainableandprotectionrenovationofhuitraditionaldwellingsinchinathermalcomfortonsitetestingandinvestigation
AT yuexie sustainableandprotectionrenovationofhuitraditionaldwellingsinchinathermalcomfortonsitetestingandinvestigation
AT changyi sustainableandprotectionrenovationofhuitraditionaldwellingsinchinathermalcomfortonsitetestingandinvestigation
AT yanbai sustainableandprotectionrenovationofhuitraditionaldwellingsinchinathermalcomfortonsitetestingandinvestigation
AT yihengliu sustainableandprotectionrenovationofhuitraditionaldwellingsinchinathermalcomfortonsitetestingandinvestigation