Providing thermal comfort in the courtyards of academic buildings is important and increasing tree canopy coverage (TCC) presents a convenient and feasible method to achieve this; however, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the cooling effects of TCC, considering both outdoor thermal comfort and heat dynamics. In this study, we selected two typical academic buildings at Guangzhou University, each with courtyards having different height-to-width ratios (H/W ratios). We employed both field measurements and ENVI-met-based numerical models to simulate scenarios with varying TCCs. The results demonstrated that the cooling effects caused by arranging trees increase with the TCC values. During the hottest hours of the day, trees arranged in courtyards with high H/W ratios exhibited a superior cooling effect compared to those in courtyards with low H/W ratios, with a difference of up to 0.6 °C in the PET (physiological equivalent temperature); however, over the entire daytime, the total sensible heat reduction achieved by trees in courtyards with low H/W ratios surpassed that of courtyards with high H/W ratios, with a difference of up to 0.25 × 10⁴ J/m². Our findings underscore the crucial role of TCC in enhancing cooling in the courtyard of academic buildings, with important implications for university planning and design.

The problem of population aging in China is becoming increasingly serious. Increasing outdoor space can increase the frequency of outdoor activities for the elderly and effectively improve their quality of life. In this study, we examined the thermal comfort of outdoor activity spaces for older adults in summer using a subjective questionnaire in Guangzhou City, calculated and analyzed the perception and comfort range of microclimatic factors for older adults in hot and humid areas, and explored gender differences. The specific results were as follows: (1) The neutral physiological equivalent temperature (PET) for the overall respondents was 30.4 °C, compared to an acceptable PET of 33.8 °C. The neutral wind speed and acceptable wind speed for the overall respondents were both 0.4 m/s. The neutral relative humidity for the overall respondents was 56.49%, whereas the acceptable relative humidity was 64.94%. (2) Gender differences were observed among older respondents regarding PET and relative humidity, while no significant gender differences were found among older respondents regarding wind speed. (3) Summer thermal sensation voting for older adults in hot and humid areas were mainly centered on “hot” (30.2%), and “not too hot nor cold” (38.7%). The wind sensation voting was centered on “not high or low” (44.6%). Humidity sensation voting was mainly concentrated on “not wet nor dry” (69.4%). This study provides guidance to urban planners and architects to help them create urban environments that are more comfortable and responsive to the needs of the aging population.

Urbanization poses mental health risks for urban dwellers, whereas natural environments offer mental health benefits by providing restorative experiences through visual stimuli. While urban waterfront spaces are recognized for their mental restorative potential, the specific environmental features and individual visual behaviors that drive these benefits remain inadequately understood. Grounded in restorative environments theory, this study investigates how these factors jointly influence restoration. Employing a controlled laboratory experiment, subjects viewed real-life images of nine representative spatial locations from the waterfront space of Guangzhou Long Bund. Data collected during the multimodal experiments included subjective scales data (SRRS), physiological measurement data (SCR; LF/HF), and eye-tracking data. Key findings revealed the following: (1) The element visibility rate and visual characteristics of plant and building elements significantly influence restorative benefits. (2) Spatial configuration attributes (degree of enclosure, spatial hierarchy, and depth perception) regulate restorative benefits. (3) Visual behavior patterns (attributes of fixation points, fixation duration, and moderate dispersion of fixations) are significantly associated with restoration benefits. These findings advance the understanding of the mechanisms linking environmental stimuli, visual behavior, and psychological restorative benefits. They translate into evidence-based design principles for urban waterfront spaces. This study provides a refined perspective and empirical foundation for enhancing the restorative benefits of urban waterfront spaces through design.

(1) Background: Urban villages in Guangzhou are high-density communities with challenging outdoor thermal environments, which significantly impact residents’ thermal comfort. Addressing these issues is crucial for improving the quality of life and mitigating heat stress in such environments. (2) Methods: This study utilized a validated ENVI-met microclimate model to explore the synergistic cooling effects of roof greening and facade greening. Three greening types—total greening, facade greening, and roof greening—were analyzed for their impacts on air temperature, mean radiant temperature, and physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) at a pedestrian height of 1.5 m under varying green coverage scenarios. (3) Results: The findings showed that total greening exhibited the greatest cooling potential, especially under high coverage (≥50%), reducing PET by approximately 2.5 °C, from 53.5 °C to 51.0 °C, during midday, and shifting the heat stress level from “extreme heat stress” to “strong heat stress”. Facade greening reduced PET by about 1.5 °C, while roof greening had a limited effect, reducing PET by 1.0 °C. Furthermore, under coverage exceeding 75%, total greening achieved maximum reductions of 3.0 °C in mean radiant temperature and 1.2 °C in air temperature. (4) Conclusions: This study provides scientific evidence supporting total greening as the most effective strategy for mitigating heat stress and improving thermal comfort in high-density urban villages, offering practical insights for optimizing green infrastructure.

It is important to create a favorable environment for various student activities and interactions by improving the thermal comfort of semi-outdoor spaces in teaching buildings. However, there has been limited research focusing on the thermal comfort levels of college students in these areas, such as corridors (access ways connecting different buildings outdoors). This study aims to assess the thermal comfort levels of college students in the corridors of teaching buildings in hot and humid regions. Based on field measurements and questionnaire surveys, the study evaluated the thermal comfort levels of male and female college students. The findings indicate the following: (1) air temperature and air velocity are the primary thermal environmental parameters affecting college students in corridor spaces, regardless of gender; (2) physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) were used as indices to evaluate the thermal environment of outdoor corridor spaces. Males and females perceive the outdoor environment as hot when PET (UTCI) values reach 33.5 (34.5) °C and 33.3 (33.5) °C, respectively. When the PET (UTCI) values reach 39.0 °C (37.5 °C) for males and 37.7 °C (38.3 °C) for females, individuals in corridor spaces will face extreme heat stress; (3) females find it more challenging than males to tolerate hot outdoor environments. The unacceptable temperatures for males and females are 31.1 °C and 31.8 °C, respectively; and (4) in hot outdoor environments, females are more susceptible than males to experiencing fatigue and negative emotions. The results of this study provide valuable insights for the future design and renovation of teaching buildings on university campuses.

Project-based learning (PBL) is widely used in animation education, yet empirical evidence on how specific PBL dimensions relate to students’ learning motivation remains limited. Drawing on a survey of 319 animation majors and recent graduates in China, this study examines students’ perceptions of PBL implementation and their learning motivation using a PBL scale and a learning motivation scale. Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the predictive effects of PBL on multiple motivation dimensions. The results show a significant positive relationship between students’ perceived PBL experiences and learning motivation. Specifically, problem-driven learning exerted the strongest effects on challenge, enthusiasm, reliance on others’ evaluation, preference for simple tasks, and focus on interpersonal competition; project design significantly predicted preference for simple tasks and interpersonal competition; and project implementation positively influenced enthusiasm, whereas project evaluation showed no significant predictive effect. These findings deepen understanding of the motivational mechanisms associated with PBL in animation programs and offer practical implications for improving PBL instructional effectiveness.