Assessing the impacts of urban morphology and architectural elements on indoor thermal conditions in vernacular houses and modern terraced houses in Hoi An, Vietnam
Author: Luu, Thien Huong
Under the direction of: Dominique Laffly and Juan Carlos Rojas Arias
Toulouse 2 University
English text
Keywords: Urban planning and development, Vietnam, Vernacular house, Thermal comfort, Urban morphology, Architectural elements, Interior thermal, Bioclimatic design, Sustainable development, Architecture and climate - Sustainable urban planning - Hội an (Viet-Nam), Buildings - Thermal insulation.
Abstract
Hoi An is a small city located in central Vietnam with severe weather and many natural disasters such as storms and floods. Therefore, people lived there are more difficult than in the North and the South of Vietnam. Hoi An City has an ancient town, which was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site in 1999. Since then, Hoi An tourism has grown rapidly, which means that the vernacular houses there are more famous. The development of tourism has promoted this unique heritage, but the city also faces potential risks due to rapid but poor-quality infrastructure development ; incoherent and sporadic planning between old and new areas (Do, D. T. & Phan, Q. M., 2018 ; Jones, G. W., 2002). Inconsistencies in the planning orientation entailed many consequences such as uneven population distribution, increased construction density in the central areas, increased urban pressure on historical relics, etc. Hoi An has a high temperature all year round (22,8 °C - 39,8 °C), which greatly affects the residents’ quality of life. Therefore, limiting the effect of heat on the indoor temperature is a challenge for the buildings there, especially in the context of increasing construction density. In recent years, the movement of the whole society in environmental awareness and action has been changing positively. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency of buildings is essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing climate change. Recognizing these above-mentioned problems, this study focuses on assessing the impact of two factors : urban morphology and architectural elements on indoor thermal conditions of local residential buildings. The research areas proposed in this thesis include the old town area and the new city area. In each area, two vernacular houses and two modern terraced houses are proposed as subjects for surveying and measurement. In addition, this study aims to propose recommendations of planning orientation, and design principle, which are combinations of thermal comfort, environmental friendliness and economic efficiency but still preserve the traditional value. This study also provides valuable documents for academics and researches in the field of architecture and planning. The research process is carried out by a variety of methods including field surveys, interviewing occupants and experts, measurement work by handheld devices and automatic sensors, data and map analysis.
