Environmental Features of Chinese Architectural Heritage: The Standardization of Form in the Pursuit of Equilibrium with Nature

Empirical and quantitative studies of Feng Shui: A systematic review (PRISMA 2009 item 1)

Despite a long period of scholarly interest in Feng Shui, there has been no systematic review of this subject. The objective of this study was, therefore, to conduct a systematic review of empirical and quantitative Feng Shui journal articles written in Chinese or English to shed light on the nature of Feng Shui. This study identifies both existing empirical and quantitative studies of Feng Shui and directions for further research. It is the first to provide a synthesis of empirical and quantitative findings on the specific outcomes of Feng Shui, and more importantly, to explore its reliability and validity. We searched four databases, two in Chinese (Taiwan Periodical Literature and WANFANG DATA) and two in English (Web of Science and SCOPUS), and reviewed 36 articles following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA 2009). The eligibility criteria were: (1) any kind of participants or study samples; (2) any Feng Shui-related intervention; (3) comparators belonging to the same study samples or between different study samples; (4) the outcome of any empirical and quantitative measurement of Feng Shui; and (5) any study design except for qualitative studies. We used the Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Tools to analyze the research quality of the included articles. We found that Feng Shui was associated with housing prices in societies influenced by Chinese culture. Other findings suggested that: (1) Feng Shui was associated with the decisions of house-buyers growing up in societies influenced by Chinese culture; (2) Feng Shui forests had greater habitat diversity than other forests in China; (3) Feng Shui environments in Asia had more comfortable wind fields than non-Feng Shui settings; (4) in Asia, Feng Shui was related to sunlight; (5) Feng Shui had good reliability; and (6) Feng Shui was valid with respect to environmental features but its influence on humans has not been determined. We therefore conclude that Feng Shui is neither a superstition nor a science. Given that the research quality of the included articles was less than ideal and the number of each specific outcome and their samples were also limited, their findings should be interpreted with caution. We look forward to more good quality empirical studies of Feng Shui in the future, particularly those involving de facto field experiments recruiting non-Asian participants to provide further insights into the quasi-science of Feng Shui. (PRISMA 2009 Item 2).

Solar Radiation in Architectural Projects as a Key Design Factor for the Well-Being of Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease

The beneficial effects of solar radiation on human health are well documented. One necessary mechanism triggers the production of vitamin D, whose insufficiency has been linked to a variety of disorders such as diabetes; hypertension; and, more recently, amyloidosis and Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are few architectural designs capable of ensuring the adequate provision of solar radiation inside buildings. Conventional fenestration is not sufficient to provide for significant doses of sunlight, even to prevent seasonal affective disorder (SAD). In this paper, we discuss the effect of new design alternatives for skylights, especially in the refurbishment of obsolete facilities. Based on the authors’ previous studies, we defined a theoretical model that was subsequently adapted to a real building that was to be retrofitted in an area near Sevilla. After such complex refurbishment was executed, we analyzed the performance of buildings in warm and sunny climates, as is the case of southern Spain, where cloudiness is very scarce and available simulation models are not useful. The study of the factors that relate to sunlight; UV reception and energy; and, to a certain extent, other aspects such as ventilation and insulation has been considered a priority. Many architectural designs are presented as correct if the thermal requirements alone are met, even at the risk of later energy waste in lighting devices and visual or physical discomfort. On the other hand, large glazed areas allow for more daylight and UV radiation into a space if properly treated, but they may also produce excessive heat gains or losses, which increase the air-conditioning cooling or heating load, respectively. The uncontrolled increase in temperature can have negative effects on the well-being of a person with Alzheimer’s dementia. To avoid these problems, we have considered the combined effect of daylight and energy from the beginning of the skylight design-process. Daylighting software, based on configuration factors that we have applied in studies of the complex problem of there being direct sunlight over architectural structures, has been used. This question cannot be treated adequately with conventional programs for overcast skies. The skylights have already been constructed, with special UV increasing glazing and on-site measurements in the offices to complement the computer simulation data. The results show that it is possible to achieve energy saving and high radiation levels in winter without increasing heat loads during the summer. Ventilation is also improved through the aerodynamic design of the clerestories. All this is considered beneficial to improve the condition of users with cognitive diseases as Alzheimer’s disease, by virtue of adapted spaces.

Architectural Significance of the Seokguram Buddhist Grotto in Gyeongju (Korea)

The purpose of this article is to disclose the hidden architectural proportions and true nature of the Korean national treasure in Seokguram Grotto, Gyeongju. The authors compare its features with those of other ancient hypogeal or ashlar constructions with the intention of rediscovering its relevant configuration and latent structural properties in order to demonstrate its uniqueness. The methods employed in the research belong initially to architectural design and composition to advance in the later stages to the nuances of stone masonry, lighting effects and especially cohesive construction. In this discussion and thorough analysis diverse philosophical and scientific subtleties are brought to the surface. The results demonstrate significant potential thanks to recent architectural developments, such as Tadao Ando’s Buddha Hill in Hokkaido (2017) and the authors’ own proposal for a Buddhist monument.

Sustainability in Early Modern China through the Evolution of the Jesuit Accommodation Method

This article clarifies the often overlooked facts attributed to European missionaries in Asia, especially Jesuits, who acted as catalysts of a kind of nuanced acculturation named Accommodatio (adaptation). To a great extent, they became harbingers of culture and science more than faith itself to the dismay of many, including the Roman Church. Such cultural and scientific transference was actually two-pronged, for simultaneously they presented in Europe unique findings related to language, e.g., the Chinese characters (considered to be the sole natural language), geography, cosmology and even governance. Here we try to prove that such procedure contributed positively to the modern scientific notions of sustainability and to provide the kind of accoutrements that model the modern world as we know it. However, in the process, many Jesuits clearly became sinified and eventually acculturated.

Cultural Sustainability and Vitality of Chinese Vernacular Architecture: A Pedigree for the Spatial Art of Traditional Villages in Jiangnan Region

Presently, the rapid urbanization in contemporary cities in China has resulted in more buildings of low cultural value and high energy consumption. Many traditional Chinese villages exhibit special spaces that have been optimally adapted to the climatic and environmental features of the area using vernacular methods. The buildings in these villages can maintain the environment more sufficiently for the intended programs and consuming a lower level of resources. The construction technics and the artistic features in these spaces are invaluable and inspiring for contemporary architectural practices. This study aims to establish a pedigree of the artistic features exhibited in traditional Chinese villages to support sustainable development. This is to be achieved through thoroughly exploring the spatial design of these villages archived in a big-data resource. The pedigree integrates the dynamics (cultural changes over a certain period of time) and static (spatial features at a fixed time) of how the spaces in these villages have evolved. It is concluded that both a high level of sustainability and exceptional artistic quality have been achieved over a long history in many of these villages where traditional construction methods and design principals were employed.

Daylight and Architectural Simulation of the Egebjerg School (Denmark): Sustainable Features of a New Type of Skylight

This article discusses the performance of a new skylight for standard classrooms at the Egebjerg School (Denmark), which was built ca. 1970. This building underwent important reforms under a European project to which the authors contributed. This research aimed to create a new skylight prototype that is useful for several schools in the vicinity, since there is a lack of educational facilities. The former skylights consisted of plastic pyramids that presented serious disadvantages in terms of sustainability matters. During the design process, the priority changed to studying the factors that correlate daylighting with energy and other environmental aspects in a holistic and evocative approach. Accordingly, the new skylight features promote the admittance and diffusion of solar energy through adroit guidance systems. In order to simulate different scenarios, we employed our own simulation tool, Diana X. This research-oriented software works with the effects of direct solar energy that are mostly avoided in conventional programs. By virtue of Lambert’s reciprocity theorem, our procedure, which was based on innovative equations of radiative transfer, converts the energy received by diffusive surfaces into luminous exitance for all types of architectural elements. Upon completion of the skylights, we recorded onsite measurements, which roughly coincided with the simulation data. Thus, conditions throughout the year improved.

The Problem of Lighting in Underground Domes, Vaults, and Tunnel-Like Structures of Antiquity; An Application to the Sustainability of Prominent Asian Heritage (India, Korea, China)

Lighting in heritage is complex because of the forms intervening in it. The historical evolution of cultures has not been analytical and therefore, the shapes involved differ greatly from the cuboids typically found in 21st century architecture. As a vector, light inevitably attaches to surface sources. In this research, we focused on 3D curved geometries. Following a different trail to radiative transfer by virtue of detailed knowledge of the spatiality of volumes, we present new expressions, previously undefined in the literature, that are derived from a combination of surfaces that we have found in many archaeological sites around Asia. In the discussion, we start from the particularities of spherical surfaces where a normal vector has to pass through the center. By means of easy calculations, we deducted innovative laws. These in turn, allowed us to formulate several new expressions for configuration factors based on the adroit use of spherical fragments. The method easily extends to organic shapes that are often contained in the sustainable architecture of the past. The method finishes with suitable algorithms to assess the reflections in such curved forms. Finally, we implemented the results in our creative software. In this way, we enhanced the sustainable paradigms for heritage structures in Asia that we present as a conclusion of the article.

Lighting Features in Historical Buildings: Scientific Analysis of the Church of Saint Louis of the Frenchmen in Sevilla

Heritage issues have increased significantly in recent years. However, they tend to remain in the cultural sphere and are often resistant to scientific analyses. If we have to deal with the contradictory matter of sustainability in design for ancient buildings, such hindrances appear frequently. A crucial aspect in Architecture has always been its capacity to dispose internal spaces and apertures in a manner that enhances the balance of light and thus provides attuned perception and well-being. Poor performance in that respect raised objections against the prestige of admirable works and famed artists. If we reject the absurd idea of accurately reproducing identical buildings in the same place repeatedly, how are we supposed to benefit from the said knowledge without the help of any objective design tools? It is easy to agree that at least we would need some scientific support to transmit such proper effects. Aware of the former notions, authors have developed a novel simulation software called DianaX, which is based on mathematical models and equations produced and expanded by Joseph Cabeza-Laïnez, from roughly 1990 to 2018. This non-commercial software deals with radiative exchanges in all kinds of surfaces (for instance domes, vaults, cylinders, hyperboloids and curves in general). It also includes direct sun in the simulations unlike most programs. Therefore, it is ideally suited for the analysis of heritage architecture and especially that which identifies with the Renaissance, baroque and neoclassical epochs. The case of temples from the baroque period resumes the conflict expressed in the first paragraph and the Jesuit Church of Saint Louis (1699–1731) is one of the most relevant examples of efficient illumination found in Mediterranean latitudes, having been recently restored. In this article, we would like to discuss the subtle and interesting implications of employing our simulation software for lighting in such a complex baroque temple. The methodology would be to identify the main energy sources within the church in order to construct a suitable model for simulation. Subsequently we apply the said software DianaX to such model and establish the most significant results trying to compare them with available on-site measurements. Finally, a strategy to enhance day-lighting and supplement it with other light sources in the church is proposed.