Study on the Thermal Environment of the YaoDong Dwelling in the Loess Plateau of China

Abstract

YaoDong dwellings are distributed widely throughout the loess plateau in the north of China, and have many positive characteristics, such as good use of land, low cost, low impact on the environment, and a comfortable thermal environment. The aim of this study is to ascertain to what extent the indoor climate of YaoDong is a natural one regarding building design as a sustainable architecture. The authors carried out a survey in Zaoyuan village of Yan’an city in August 1999. They collected basic data regarding the natural conditions of the site, climate condition of the Yan’an area, and the thermal environment of YaoDong dwellings. The authors found that YaoDong had excellent characteristics regarding the thermal environment in the summer. © 2002, Architectural Institute of Japan. All rights reserved.