Heritage Building Meets Feng Shui: Validating Wind Comfort Logic in a Beijing Siheyuan by CFD and Field Experiments

This study delves into the impact of the Feng Shui theory framework on the wind environment of the Beijing Siheyuan (a traditional quadrangle courtyard). By integrating numerical simulations, field experiments, and comparative analyses, we assess the wind environment of Feng Shui and non-Feng Shui layouts of the Siheyuan in summer. The results demonstrate that the Feng Shui layout provides an improved wind environment and comfort level in the Siheyuan in summer. Specifically, the Feng Shui layout demonstrates superior average wind speeds and expands the area of comfortable wind zones by 75.52% when the entrance is located at the southeastern point, outperforming the non-Feng Shui layout. Additionally, optimizing the courtyard, the Moon Gate, and the Screen Wall according to the Feng Shui theory framework can enhance wind comfort in the Siheyuan. This study provides valuable insights for climate-adaptive design based on the Feng Shui theory framework. It also provides a novel method for translating Chinese cultural genes from a scientific perspective.