Evaluating the Influence of Different Layouts of Residential Buildings on the Urban Thermal Environment

Yuanyuan Li, Qiang Chen (), Qianhao Cheng, Kangning Li, Beilei Cao and Yixiao Huang
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Yuanyuan Li: School of Geomatics and Urban Spatial Information, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 102616, China
Qiang Chen: School of Geomatics and Urban Spatial Information, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 102616, China
Qianhao Cheng: School of Geomatics and Urban Spatial Information, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 102616, China
Kangning Li: Department of Geography, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100085, China
Beilei Cao: School of Geomatics and Urban Spatial Information, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 102616, China
Yixiao Huang: School of Geomatics and Urban Spatial Information, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 102616, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: Urban residential building layouts have an impact on air temperature and thermal comfort. Research has shown that poorly designed building layouts can lead to thermal discomfort. Thus, it is crucial to analyze the relationship between residential building layouts and air temperature. We used the ENVI-met 3D microclimate model to simulate six typical residential building layouts and explore the diurnal and seasonal variations in air temperature. In addition, we used the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) as the evaluation index for the thermal comfort of different building layouts. The diurnal results showed that the air temperature of the parallel layout rose faster and fell faster, and these changes were more significant in summer. The results of the air temperature classifications indicated that the frequency of low-air-temperature areas in the parallel layout is approximately 12% smaller than that of the enclosed and semi-enclosed layouts, and the high-air-temperature area frequency is 11% higher than that of the enclosed and semi-enclosed layouts in summer. In winter, the frequency of low-air-temperature areas in the parallel layout is approximately 7% smaller than that of the enclosed and semi-enclosed layouts, and the high-air-temperature area frequency is 5% higher than that of the enclosed and semi-enclosed layouts. In combination with the PET results, we found that the enclosed layout is the optimal configuration. Moreover, in some cases, increased building height and vegetation lead to a reduction in air temperature.

Keywords: residential building layout; ENVI-met; air temperature; urban thermal environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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