Organization and evolution of climate responsive strategies, used in Turpan vernacular buildings in arid region of China

Under the global crisis of energy shortage and environmental pollution, the climate responsive strategies used in vernacular buildings have attracted much attention for their potential to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. However, the relationships between these traditional climatic strategies were not precisely perceived, which may cause the inapplicability of these strategies for contemporary rural houses. In this paper, taking the Turpan vernacular buildings in arid region of China, the climate responsive strategies of buildings in the most significant periods such as the Gaochang period (before 1318), the Khanate and Republican period (1318–1949), the Modern period (1949–2010), and the Contemporary period (2011–present) were summarized. In addition, two different types of climatic strategies organizations, namely multilayer spaces and integrated building envelopes, were identified based on the temperature difference measurement and comparative analysis. The assessment of thermal performance of the organizations was conducted by the methodology of software simulation. Furthermore, the applicability of the organizations in rural areas was discussed, and a new combined organization was proposed. Consequently, this study can contribute to provide the main approaches for climatically responsive rural houses.