Impacts of Plant Configuration on the Outdoor Wind Comfort of Subtropical Coastal Campuses: Evidence from a Study of Quanzhou

Even though the interaction between plants and the outdoor wind environment has been a focus of interest for scholars from various disciplines in recent years, the relationship between campus outdoor wind comfort and plant configuration in subtropical coastal areas remains poorly understood. Using the outdoor space of a typical subtropical coastal campus (the Donghai Campus of Quanzhou Normal University) as a case study, we explore the connection between plant configuration and outdoor wind comfort. The campus outdoor area is segmented into roads, squares, and courtyards to investigate this relationship. To achieve this goal, a 9-h fixed-point measurement method and the PHOENICS software (2016) were utilized. The following are the findings of the research: (1) Within the realm of trees, the banyan, Bischofia javanica, and kapok species exhibit a notable impact on wind speed reduction, with respective wind reduction ratios of 1.22, 1.31, and 1.29. Notably, among shrubs, waringin stands out with a wind reduction ratio of 1.83. (2) The tree + shrub + grass combination is the most effective method for reducing wind among the three plant facade configurations. Specifically, the combination of Bischofia javanica, waringin, and carpet grass has the best wind reduction effect, with a wind reduction ratio of 2.55. (3) Adding Bischofia javanica, waringin, and grass plants in areas with high wind speeds can effectively improve wind comfort. This provides directions for creating a comfortable wind environment on university campuses situated in subtropical coastal areas.