%0 Journal Article %J Building Simulation %D 2019 %T Performance-driven optimization of urban open space configuration in the cold-winter and hot-summer region of China %A Xiaodong Xu %A Yifan Wu %A Wei Wang %A Tianzhen Hong %A Ning Xu %X

Urbanization has led to changes in urban morphology and climate, while urban open space has become an important ecological factor for evaluating the performance of urban development. This study presents an optimization approach using computational performance simulation. With a genetic algorithm using the Grasshopper tool, this study analyzed the layout and configuration of urban open space and its impact on the urban micro-climate under summer and winter conditions. The outdoor mean Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was applied as the performance indicator for evaluating the quality of the urban micro-climate. Two cases—one testbed and one real urban block in Nanjing, China—were used to validate the computer-aided simulation process. The optimization results in the testbed showed UTCI values varied from 36.5 to 37.3 °C in summer and from −4.9 to −1.9 °C in winter. In the case of the real urban block, optimization results show, for summer, although the average UTCI value increased by 0.6 °C, the average air velocity increased by 0.2 m/s; while in winter, the average UTCI value increased by 1.7 °C and the average air velocity decreased by 0.2 m/s. These results demonstrate that the proposed computer-aided optimization process can improve the thermal comfort conditions of open space in urban blocks. Finally, this study discusses strategies and guidelines for the layout design of urban open space to improve urban environment comfort.

%B Building Simulation %V 12 %P 411 - 424 %8 03/2019 %G eng %U http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12273-019-0510-zhttp://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12273-019-0510-z.pdfhttp://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12273-019-0510-z.pdfhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12273-019-0510-z/fulltext.html %N 3 %! Build. Simul. %R 10.1007/s12273-019-0510-z %0 Journal Article %J Sustainability %D 2018 %T Performance-Based Evaluation of Courtyard Design in China’s Cold-Winter Hot-Summer Climate Regions %A Xiaodong Xu %A Fenlan Luo %A Wei Wang %A Tianzhen Hong %A Xiuzhang Fu %K aspect ratio %K courtyard design %K ecological buffer area %K ecological effect %K layout %X

Evaluates the performance of the traditional courtyard design of the Jiangnan Museum, located in Jiangsu Province. In the evaluation, the spatial layout of courtyards is adjusted, the aspect ratio is changed, and an ecological buffer space is created. To model and evaluate the performance of the courtyard design, this study applied the Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, Parabolic Hyperbolic Or Elliptic Numerical Integration Code Series (PHOENICS), for wind environment simulation, and the EnergyPlus-based software, DesignBuilder, for energy simulation. Results show that a good combination of courtyard layout and aspect ratio can improve the use of natural ventilation by increasing free cooling during hot summers and reducing cold wind in winters. The results also show that ecological buffer areas of a courtyard can reduce cooling loads in summer by approximately 19.6% and heating loads in winter by approximately 22.3%. The study provides insights into the optimal design of a courtyard to maximize its benefit in regulating the microclimate during both winter and summer.

%B Sustainability %V 10 %P 3950 %8 10/2018 %G eng %U http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/11/3950http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/11/3950/pdf %N 11 %! Sustainability %R 10.3390/su10113950