final AA report

Strategies to Achieve Thermal Comfort using Courtyards, Materials and Orientation of

Fenestrations as the Approach in Westin Hotel, Xi'an.

Asian Architecture [ARC 2213/2234]PROJECT 1: CASE STUDY

Strategies to Achieve Thermal Comfort using Courtyards, Materials and Orientation of Fenestrations

as the Approach in Westin Hotel, Xi’an.

NAME: CHUNG WEI JIN

STUDENT ID: 0313789

LECTURER: MR. KOH JING HAO

SUBMISSION DATE: 24TH NOVEMBER 2015

ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture 0



Strategies to Achieve Thermal Comfort using Courtyards, Materials and Orientation of Fenestrations as the Approach in Westin Hotel, Xi’an.Table of Contents Page

Abstract............................................................................................................................2

1.0 Introduction.......................................................................................................3

2.0 Thermal Comfort...............................................................................................5

3.0 Achieving Thermal Comfort in Traditional Chinese Architecture......................5

3.1 Thermal Comfort through Courtyards........................................................5

3.2 Thermal Comfort through Materials...........................................................7

3.3 Thermal Comfort through Orientation of Fenestrations.............................8

4.0 Achieving Thermal Comfort in Westin Xi’an...................................................10

4.1 Thermal Comfort through Courtyards......................................................10

4.2 Thermal Comfort through Materials.........................................................15

4.3 Thermal Comfort through Orientation of Fenestrations...........................18

5.0 Conclusion...........................................................................................................21

6.0 References................................................................................................................2

AbstractThe purpose of this research paper is to conduct a study on the use of

materials, courtyards and fenestration as architectural representations in




Chinese buildings to achieve thermal comfort. With these features commonly

implemented in traditional Chinese architecture for the thermal comfort of users,

this research aims to discover the strategies used to accommodate the

materials, courtyards and fenestrations into different traditional building layouts

and the integration of these vernacular characteristics into contemporary

architecture. Thus, to further verify the validation of this research, a thorough

literature review was conducted based on various sources regarding Chinese

architecture to further augment this process. To narrow down my research

scope to a more specific building, the Westin Hotel in Xi’an, China was chosen

to represent the architectural style of this province. The use of stone, which is a

traditional construction material used back in the Tang Dynasty as its main

construction material can be seen throughout the building. Moreover, the wide

and elongated couprinrtyard located in the center point of the hotel also reflects

traditional northern courtyard styles. There are several sky wells located

throughout the building which also aids in achieving thermal comfort. In

addition, the fenestrations were also constructed with shading devices at

strategic cardinal locations to allow adequate amount of sunlight into the

building. Hence, I have come to a conclusion that the usage of vernacular

materials, courtyards and fenestration can aid in achieving thermal comfort

within contemporary architecture in China.

1.0 Introduction Chinese architecture is an important style of architecture that has lived through

centuries of Chinese civilization. The Chinese build dwellings that take the




environmental context into account-the climate, condition of soil and rocks and the

surrounding vegetation, creating a habitable internal microclimate which provides

maximum physical comfort to the users of the building. In China, this level of

environmental awareness is intensified due to the cultural beliefs of the Chinese, or

also known as feng shui, which is a philosophical system that harmonizes the people

with their surrounding environment.

Dating back to a history of over 3000 years ago, the Chinese have learnt to

utilize various aspects of architecture to create a habitable living space of maximum

thermal comfort. One traditional aspect that is commonly seen in almost all of the

Chinese dwellings is the courtyard, which is an open space surrounded on four, or

sometimes three sides. The shapes of these courtyards can defer in different regions of

China to adapt to the natural environment and also the needs of living of the Chinese.

The size of the courtyard openings alongside other openings like doors and windows

also differ according to climate. The fenestrations were designed to face a certain

cardinal direction to create an optimal internal environment condition. Moreover, the

evolution of building materials in Chinese architecture from mainly wood structures to

bricks and stones as they discovered the durability of the latter has further proven the

flexibility of Chinese architecture in further improving itself from time to time.

This paper will investigate on the solution to thermal comfort using courtyards,

materials and arrangement of fenestrations as the approach in Westin Hotel, Xi’an by

responding to the following questions:

1. What is thermal comfort?


Figure 0.0 Westin Hotel in Xi’an adopts numerous vernacular features into its

design.(Source: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/07/xian-westin-hotel-by-nerihu/)

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/07/xian-westin-hotel-by-nerihu/



2. How does Chinese traditional architecture use these features to achieve thermal comfort?

3. How do the interior and exterior courtyards help to achieve thermal comfort in Westin Xi’an?

4. How do the building materials help to achieve thermal comfort in Westin Xi’an?5. How does the arrangement of fenestrations help to achieve thermal comfort in

Westin Xi’an?

2.0 Thermal ComfortThermal comfort is the state of mind of humans that expresses satisfaction with

the thermal environment. To achieve this, thermal neutrality needs to be maintained by

dispersing heat generated via human metabolism, thus maintaining thermal equilibrium

with the surroundings. Therefore, the architecture of a building is of utmost importance


THERMAL

COMFORT

Figure 0.0 Mind map of the topics covered in this research paper.



to regulate the air temperature and relative humidity within the enclosed space to

achieve an acceptable level of thermal comfort, especially in regions with extreme

climates like in Xi’an, China.

3.0 Achieving Thermal Comfort in Traditional Chinese Architecture3.1 Thermal Comfort through Courtyards

In traditional Chinese architecture, Chinese builders have a different

perspective in defining architecture. They do not build structures only to enclose a

space with four walls but also take into account the exposed spaces created for the

living and working of the people. According to Nelson Wu (2006), “The students of

Chinese architecture will miss the point if he does not focus his attention on the space

and the impalpable relationships between members of this complex, but rather fixes his

eyes on the solids of the building alone.” Chinese architecture emphasizes that just as

we take advantage of what is, we should also recognize the usefulness of what is not,

just like piercing doors and windows through walls of a building; it is through these

spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of this house depends(Waley, 1958).

Courtyard, which is the open space formed by neighboring structures is an

important element included in the spatial layout of Chinese traditional dwellings. These

negative spaces can be found in infinite variations in different regions of China to

accommodate the contextual climate.




The climatic variables differentiate proportions of enclosed structures that

occupy the spaces. Generally, the ratio of open spaces to enclosed spaces is lesser in

southeast and southwest China as compared to northeast and northwest. Climate in

the north tend to be dryer and colder, causing the courtyards to take up a larger portion

of the dwellings, with more emphasis given to blocking cold winter winds while

increasing the receipt of winter sunshine. Courtyard sizes decrease gradually heading

down south as the climate turns hot and humid with some dwellings having only a mere

shaft of open space, which is sometimes called “tian jing” or sky wells. Gray spaces or

transitional spaces increase significantly with emphasis given to the ventilation of

interior spaces and penetration of sunlight into the buildings.

In the northern region of China, there is a common type of courtyard which is

widely constructed: the sunken courtyard, or also known as “yao dong”. These sunken


Figure 0.0 Traditional chinese courtyard houses

(Source: Chinese Houses: A Pictorial Tour of Chinese Traditional Dwellings, 2008)

Figure 0.0 The different ratios of open and enclosed spaces in various regions of China.

(Source: Chinese Houses: A Pictorial Tour of Chinese Traditional Dwellings, 2008)



courtyards are developed during the Han Dynasty and progressively improved during

the Sui and Tang Dynasty. There are a few factors that contribute to the development

of this kind of courtyard in the northern regions: the minimal amount of rainfall, the lack

of vegetation and also the compactness of the loess soil which makes up the earth

surrounding the northern region.

Figure 0.0 Section of sunken dwellings. (Source: Tu Shuo Min Ju, 2004)

The construction of sunken courtyards starts with the vertical excavation of

approximately 6 meters down the earth, forming a sunken square with four walls

surrounding it. This is followed by horizontal excavations in the surrounding walls to

form the living spaces of this underground dwelling. The sunken dwellings are well

insulated from the changes of climate as loess soil surrounding it keeps the spaces

warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This provides maximum thermal comfort to

the Chinese living in the north with extreme climate variations.

3.2 Thermal Comfort through MaterialsThe Chinese experimented with numerous construction materials throughout its

building history, ranging from timber, mud, bamboo, stones to bricks. Timber was

mainly used to construct beams and columns in the Spring and Autumn period, and is

more extensively used during the Han dynasty due the many benefits of this material.

Dense forests surround ancient China, providing abundant timber resources for the

construction of buildings. Moreover, wooden structural frames were constructed to bear

the weight of the building, resulting in flexibility of constructing openings and also

material selection for walls. However, timber is very vulnerable to moisture, fire and




also insects, which leads to the introduction of stone and bricks into Chinese

architecture.

From Tang Dynasty onwards, stone architecture becomes more and more

common, replacing wooden edifices. Normally, stones are used to construct grand

structures like temples and defensive walls. It is favored for its extremely long service

life and also high thermal mass which efficiently regulates temperature within the

internal space, resulting in thermal comfort of the users. Stone houses are normally

constructed by the Tibetans living in Tibet, which is located in the northeast region of

China. The climate is cold and generally arid in this area, encouraging the construction

of thick, heavy stone walls to prevent the penetration of cold winds into the building.

The houses are named block houses as they were made up of blocks of stone, piled up

on each other in layers. Small windows penetrate the heavy wall as large openings can

weaken the structure, affecting the stability of the building under the forces of nature.

Figure 0.0 Traditional stone house of the Tibetan people.

3.3 Thermal Comfort through Orientation of FenestrationsIn China, the orientation of a building is of utmost importance as it relates not

only to the cultural beliefs of the Chinese but also to meet the criteria of the contextual

climate, providing maximum thermal comfort to its users. During the ancient times, the

Chinese practiced Feng Shui, also known as geomancy to coordinate the actions of

people to their living spaces and their living environment using almanacs, charms and

intricate compasses. Feng Shui optimizes the benefits and diminishes the risks of the

surrounding natural environment based on a belief that some surroundings have higher

potential of bringing good luck to the inhabitants of the dwelling.


(Source: http://www.sino-us.com/83/Ancient-stone-houses-in-Tibet.html)

http://www.sino-us.com/83/Ancient-stone-houses-in-Tibet.html



Figure 0.0 An octagonal trigram template called The Late Heaven Order.

(Source: http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/bagua.htm)

In relation to the principles of Feng Shui, it is a general rule to orientate

buildings to face the south which was believed to be able to attract living Qi and good

luck. In addition to that, important spaces of the building like the master bedrooms are

also positioned to face the north to attract prosperity to the inhabitants. On the other

hand, drainage exits are located on the bottom of the east wall in the front yard to

“send water to the dragon” (Ping Xu, 1998). As the buildings are built along the rules of

Feng Shui, it is also important to take the contextual climate into account. As the main

entrance faces the south, strong north winds are blocked from directly blowing into the

interior spaces of the premises. Moreover, direct sunlight penetrates the east and west

sides of the building during the day and night, which normally houses the rooms of the

sons, bringing in sunlight during the cold winters. The daughter’s rooms, which are

normally located in the north of the dwellings receive morning sun and also late

afternoon sun, which helps in warming up the interior during winter, increasing the

temperature to the thermal comfort range.

4.0 Achieving Thermal Comfort in Westin Xi’anARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture 9



4.1 Thermal Comfort through courtyardsAs courtyards are traditional signatures of ancient dwellings, the Westin Hotel

also adopted this feature in the design of their plan layout to achieve thermal comfort

via ventilation of air within these courtyards. As Westin is located in Xi’an which is in

the northern region of China, the climate is extremely cold and dry during winter and

torrid during the summer. Therefore, traditional Shaanxi style courtyards, which are

elongated and narrow, are constructed in this hotel.

A central external sunken courtyard lies in the basement, with important spaces

surrounding it: the museum, offices, ball rooms and pre-function rooms. No transitional

spaces like walkways and verandahs were constructed in between the courtyards and

the interior spaces which blocks harsh wind from entering the building during winter. In

addition to that, the courtyard intensifies direct solar heat gain into the surrounding

interior spaces, bringing in winter sunlight which heats up the air circulating the interior

of the building.


(Source: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/07/xian-westin-hotel-by-nerihu/)

Figure 0.0 The central external sunken courtyard located in the basement.



However, in the summer, this large external courtyard traps cool winds at night

and heat accumulated in the day are evaporated into the atmosphere. Cold wind

disperses into the internal spaces, decreasing the temperature to the range of thermal

comfort, which is in between 23 Degree Celsius to 26 Degree Celsius (The ASHRAE

Standard 55-1992).


Figure 0.0 Basement plan of Westin Hotel showing solar heat gain from the external courtyard to

the surrounding spaces.




Besides the central external sunken courtyard, a central atrium with four more

sky wells flanking it is situated in the ground floor plan. The central atrium faces the

main entrance of the hotel with rows of rooms located on both sides of it. This is a

convenient design for the ventilation of air into the corridors lining the hotel rooms as

heated air in the atrium rises during the summer, causing cool air to enter the internal

spaces via the northern main entrance. Moreover, during the winter, sunlight can be

directed into the corridors to increase the internal temperature. The smaller size of the

atrium compared to the external sunken courtyard also allows minimal cold winter wind

into the building.


Figure 0.0 Schematic Diagram showing the flow of hot air and cool air within the building

during the summer.



There are four sky wells that surround the atrium, connecting from the ground

floor to the roof level. Three of the sky wells are internal gardens with rows of rooms

surrounding the southern sky wells. In the northern part, one of the sky well internal

garden is located in the middle of the business center while another sky well is located

directly on top of the lobby lounge.


Figure 0.0 Ground Floor Plan highlighting locations of atriums and sky wells. During the

summer, cool air is forced into the internal spaces from the northern main entrance.

Source: (http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/07/xian-westin-hotel-by-nerihu/)

Figure 0.0 The central atrium that connects from the ground floor to the roof level.

Source: (http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/07/xian-westin-hotel-by-nerihu/)



Sky wells respond well during the summer where it is hot and dry. Due to its

small opening, it blocks sunlight from entering the building. Moreover, it captures pass

breezes and transfers it into the internal spaces at a high velocity, At the same time,

interior heat is evacuated from the interior to the exterior via these sky wells. This

continuous cycle of heat evacuation and increasing speed of air eventually cools down

the temperature of the internal spaces, creating a thermal comfort environment.

Besides the location and sizes of courtyards used, the height and density of the

surrounding structures that make up the courtyard also influences thermal comfort. Tall

walls surround the external courtyard, blocking winter winds from directly penetrating

the building. This feature is taken from the ancient sunken courtyards whereby

underground courtyards are hindered from the cold wind by having tall walls

surrounding them. In addition to that, the hotel is also tightly structured just like the

ancient houses in China whereby adjacent houses are connected to each closely with

narrow alleys connecting them. This tightly structured system blocks intense sunlight

during the summer and shades the interior spaces.



Figure 0.0 Section showing the exchange of cool air and hot air in the sky wells during

summer. Hot air also evacuate from the atrium.



4.2 Thermal Comfort through MaterialsThe Westin Hotel uses stones as its main construction material,

accommodating to its contextual background, which is the historical city of Xi’an. In the

14th century, the Xi’an city wall was built to defend the city against its enemy’s attacks.

This thick and heavy fortification was built surrounding the city with the one and only

entrance into the city located here. The thick stone walls of the hotel were inspired by

the construction of the heavy defensive wall.


Figure 0.0 Tall walls of the hotel

surround the structure. (Source:

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/07/xi

an-westin-hotel-by-nerihu/)

Figure 0.0 Tight structures of the hotel seen

from aerial view. (Source:

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/07/xian-

westin-hotel-by-nerihu/)

Figure 0.0 Xi’an City Wall’s thick and heavy walls.

(Source: http://famouswonders.com/xian-city-walls/)



Stones are not only a durable construction material but it also has a high

thermal mass compared to timber which was another construction material commonly

used by the Chinese. Thermal mass is the ability of the mass of a building to store

heat, providing “inertia” against temperature variations. Heavy materials like stones and

bricks normally have higher thermal mass than materials like timber and bamboo.

Materials Thickness of Material Thermal mass (in kj/m2K)

Stone 200 433

Concrete 100 221

Mud Brick 200 200

Hardwood 19 25

Table 0.0 Table comparing the thermal mass of various materials.

As compared in the table above, it can be clearly seen that stone has an

extremely high thermal mass compared to the other construction materials. This is

beneficial to the Westin Hotel as it is located in the northern region of China with

extreme climates. To utilize the thermal mass of stone to achieve thermal comfort of

the users, the material needs to be exposed to sunlight during winter and shaded from

sunlight during summer. This can be achieved via the orientations and shadings of the

building.

During the winter, stone walls on the north side of the hotel is given maximum

exposure to the low winter sun during the day. At night, when the temperature falls,

heat is released into the atmosphere, warming up the interior of the building. On the

other hand, during the summer, shades from the building protects the external stone

walls from being exposed to direct rays of the high summer sun, preventing the

overheating of the stone walls. At night, excess heat is released by the walls into the air

via the courtyards which ventilates cool air into the building, cooling the temperature

within it.


(Source: http://www. hobartcity.com.au)




Figure 0.0 Materials are shaded from the high summer sun to prevent

overheating during the summer.

Figure 0.0 Materials are exposed to the low winter sun.

(Source: http://www.level.org.nz/passive-design/thermal-mass/thermal-mass-design/)

(Source: http://www.level.org.nz/passive-design/thermal-mass/thermal-mass-design/)



4.3 Thermal Comfort through Orientation of Fenestrations The orientation of the fenestrations is strategically arranged in the Westin Hotel

to provide thermal comfort to the users of the building. The windows located in the

north, south and east sides of the building are slightly slanted, with north and south

windows facing the direction of sunlight to allow adequate amount of sunlight into the

building’s interior.

During the winter, these windows are easily exposed to the low winter sunlight,

heating up the interior spaces which increases the temperature internally. This increase

in temperature will then subsidize the cold winter winds that seep through the

courtyards and sky wells.


Figure 0.0 Slanted windows located on the north and west sides of the hotel.

(Source: http://tyylit.com/xian-museum-hotel-by-nerihu-design-and-research-office/)



In addition to the orientation of the fenestrations, Westin Hotel also designed

shading devices to further enhance the probability of achieving thermal comfort within

the building. During the summer, the thick walls surrounding the windows act as

exterior egg-crate shading devices which effectively prevent over-exposure of the

windows to the heat outside. Egg crate shading devices are very efficient in which the

fixed egg crate shading device provides a 100% shading coverage. However, the

windows in Westin Hotel are slanted which gives the effect of an egg crate shading

device with slanting vertical fins, providing a shading coverage of only 50%. This is

beneficial to the Westin Hotel located in a region of extreme temperatures. An equal

exposure of sunlight during the winter and shading during the summer is provided by

this slanting effect, achieving the thermal comfort standards.


Figure 0.0 Ground floor plan with yellow highlighted parts indicating location of slanted windows.

North windows receive heat from morning and late afternoon sun whereas the south windows

receive heat from low afternoon sun




The windows located in the north are protected from the sunlight coming from

early morning and late afternoon low sun whereas in the east side, windows are

slanted towards the south and encased by the egg crate shading device, cutting down

the amount of sunlight penetrating the windows. On the south, the surrounding egg

crate device protects the slanted windows from direct exposure towards the afternoon

sun, preventing fluctuation of temperature within the buildings.


Figure 0.0 Ground floor plan with the egg crate shading devices highlighted red. This shading

device efficiently blocks high summer sun from over-heating the interior spaces during the

summer.


Figure 0.0 Slanted vertical fins in egg crate shading devices create an

asymmetrical shading mask, providing 50% shading coverage.

(Source: http://www.usc.edu/dept-00/dept/architecture/mbs/tools/thermal/shadedevice.html)



5.0Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be seen that the architect has successfully adopted the

vernacular characteristics of traditional Chinese houses into the design of Westin Hotel

in Xi’an in achieving thermal comfort. This can be observed from the most important

element of this hotel, which are the courtyards and sky wells. The strategic location of

these openings contribute to the ventilation of the air within the hotel, regulating the

temperature of the building within the extreme climates of Xi’an and resulting in

optimum thermal comfort to the users of the building. Moreover, the usage of stone as

the main construction material has also shown the understanding of the architects

regarding its durability and also extremely high thermal mass. The combination of

stone walls and courtyards increase the efficiency of regulating internal temperatures

by subsidizing each other’s hot air and cool air, increasing thermal comfort within the

hotel. In addition to that, the slanted orientations of the fenestrations also contribute to

increasing thermal comfort for the users with the help of egg crate shading devices

formed from the thick walls. The architects have successfully combined vernacular

Chinese architectural characteristics into one grand project, with the backdrop of the

historically rich city of Xi’an. This combination of traditional characteristics successfully

adapt the Westin Hotel into its extreme contextual climate, creating a comfortable

environment that achieves thermal comfort standards.




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