Passive design patterns for Hotan earth buildings under hot-arid climatic conditions of the Taklamakan Desert

Abstract

Traditional earth dwellings in the Hotan region of the Taklamakan Desert feature distinctive glass roofs and building envelopes. However, their impact on indoor thermal environments has not been quantitatively analyzed, limiting the application of this vernacular wisdom in modern energy-efficient design. This study first employed computer vision and field surveys to identify the O-shaped courtyard (88 %) as the dominant typology, characterized by seasonal spatial migration patterns and three types of glass roofs. Through on-site measurements and numerical simulations, key parameters influencing indoor thermal environments were determined: for summer, these include glass roof height (maximum cooling of 0.41 °C), west-facing window-to-wall ratio (maximum cooling of 0.23 °C), roof soil cover and structural thickness (maximum cooling of 0.55 °C/1.26 °C), sunken floor depth (maximum cooling of 0.74 °C), and interior wall thickness (maximum cooling of 1.30 °C); for winter, they comprise roof soil cover and structural thickness (maximum heating of 0.18 °C/3.32 °C), raised floor height (maximum heating of 0.81 °C), and exterior wall thickness (maximum heating of 0.57 °C). The results elucidate a synergistic passive design pattern: summer strategies achieve cooling through stack ventilation, roof soil and structural insulation, shallow geothermal cooling, and interior wall thermal inertia, while winter strategies enhance thermal retention by improving the heat storage capacity of the building envelope. This research provides key parameters and design patterns for optimizing traditional dwellings and offers scientific support for energy-efficient building design in hot-arid regions.