Analysis of Thermal Comfort in Single-Story Courtyard Vernacular Dwellings in Rural China: Passive Design Strategies for Adapting to the Climate

The building industry plays a significant role in global carbon emissions, contributing nearly half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions during both construction and operation. Within the framework of the “double-low” strategy, addressing energy conservation, emission reduction, and climate adaptation in buildings has become a crucial area of research and practice. In northern China, vernacular dwellings have historically developed passive strategies for climate adaptation; however, their quantified thermal performance has not been thoroughly studied. This research focuses on single-story courtyard vernacular dwellings built in the 1990s, which are inspired by historical Siheyuan forms in Shatun Village, located in Handan, Hebei Province. The study specifically examines their thermal performance during the summer and the relationship between this performance and climate design strategies. To understand how building layout, envelopes, materials, and courtyard landscape design influence the microclimate, six measurement points were established within each dwelling to continuously collect environmental data, including air temperature, humidity, and wind speed. The RayMan model was used to calculate the mean radiant temperature (Tmrt) and physiological equivalent temperature (PET), with subsequent statistical analysis conducted using Origin Pro. The results showed that sustainable design strategies—such as high building envelopes, shaded vegetation, and low-albedo materials—contributed to maintaining a stable microclimate, with over 70% of daytime PET values remaining within a comfortable range. Night-time cooling and the increased humidity from courtyard vegetation significantly enhance thermal resilience. It is important to distinguish this from ambient humidity, which can hinder human evaporative cooling and increase heat stress during extreme heat. This research demonstrates that vernacular dwellings can achieve thermal comfort without relying on mechanical cooling systems. These findings provide strong empirical support for incorporating passive, courtyard-based climate strategies in contemporary rural housing worldwide, contributing to low-carbon and climate-resilient development beyond regional contexts.