Greening Layout Design for Outdoor Thermal Comfort of Typical Residential Areas: Case Studies in China's Hot Summer-Cold Winter Zone

Abstract

Appropriate greening designs can enhance the regional thermal environment in residential areas. This study investigated different greening cases for residential buildings in hot summer-cold winter zones. Four sorts of greening combinations were tested in a residential area in Chongqing, China. Arbor-grass mix and arbor-shrub-grass mix showed effective cooling and humidifying effects and were chosen for further study. Using the ENVI-met model, simulations were conducted comparing sixteen greening cases under the hot and humid climate for determinant and enclosed building forms, respectively. Results indicate that due to the limited area in the green design of determinant building layout, the distance between the arbors and the sidewalk should be minimized as much as possible. While for the enclosed building layout, the greening should utilize concentrated areas of arbor-shrub-grass mix to improve the thermal and wind environment. The study offers optimal greening layouts for different residential areas in China's hot summer-cold winter zones, guiding landscape construction for an improved outdoor thermal environment.

Keywords: Outdoor thermal environment, Building layout, Cooling effects of greening, Numerical simulation model