Architectural vertical green walls can mitigate the urban heat island effect, provide shade and cooling, reduce energy consumption, improve a microclimate, and increase indoor comfort. However, an excessive pursuit of high coverage may diminish the benefit ratio and adversely affect ventilation and lighting. Field measurements were conducted in the hot and humid Guangzhou area to investigate the thermal benefits of external vertical green walls with varying green coverage and diverse layouts, encompassing effects such as shading, insulation, cooling, and humidification. Analyses were conducted using ENVI-met, orthogonal experiments, and SPSS to quantify the moderating effects of planted green coverage (PGC), leaf area density (LAD), and air interstitial layers on the environmental thermal benefits. The results indicated that the cooling and humidifying effects of 100% PGC and 75% PGC were comparable and superior to those of 50% PGC, yet 75% PGC outperformed 100% PGC in terms of indoor humidification. Among the layout modes, the horizontal layout was the most effective for cooling and humidification, followed by the point layout, with the vertical layout being the least effective. A global sensitivity analysis revealed that PGC had the greatest impact on wall cooling and outdoor humidification, LAD significantly influenced humidification, the width of air interstitial layers had a minor impact, and the two architectural vertical greening design ratios of 75% PGC × 4.60 LAD and 75% PGC × 2.70 LAD were particularly effective for cooling and humidification. Incorporating horizontal or point-like layouts can enhance façade design diversity while preserving the desired environmental thermal benefits, thereby contributing to the overall aesthetics of a building.

Naozhou Island is located in a subtropical marine monsoon climate, with frequent windy days throughout the year, which has a significant impact on the residents’ lives. The spatial form of local traditional villages has adapted to the local wind environment through long-term practical exploration. This study aims to quantitatively analyze this layout to explore the patterns of its climate adaptability, thereby providing guidance for modern village construction. The research method primarily involves using CFD software (2019) to analyze the spatial form parameters of the village, namely village scale, planar form, building density, and orientation, along with their effects on average wind speed, wind speed amplification factor, and wind field coefficient under normal and extreme wind conditions. The results show that an appropriate planar form can enhance the wind adaptability of the village, while village scale and building density significantly affect the wind environment. However, the orientation of the village does not have a significant impact on wind field changes due to the discontinuity of the street system. These patterns of wind adaptability can assist in the planning and design of future coastal villages to enhance the wind environment regulation and disaster resilience of island villages.

Thermal comfort is an important criterion affecting the comfort evaluation of public spaces in villages. However, related studies remain scarce because of the intricate climates of seafront villages. In this study, the effect of landscape elements on thermal comfort within public spaces in seafront villages was examined. The spatial gene method was employed to extract the layout characteristics of typical public spaces and identify villages with the most comprehensive spatial elements as simulation subjects to enhance our understanding. The Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) was selected to quantitatively assess the effect of landscape elements on thermal comfort. The analysis results revealed varying thermal mitigation capacities across different types of landscape elements. Plants, notably in plazas and courtyards, along with buildings on beaches, emerged as the most significant contributors to thermal comfort. Moreover, a diurnal variation in the influence of landscape elements on thermal comfort was observed, attributed to the unique climatic conditions of seafront villages. During daytime, structural elements exerted the most substantial effect on PET in public spaces, accounting for more than 60%, whereas their influence waned in the evening. In contrast, as the sea breeze intensified in the evening, the planting method contributed over 71% to PET.