Amid global warming and urbanization, outdoor thermal comfort has become a critical consideration in landscape architecture. This study integrates a systematic review and bibliometric analysis of 1417 empirical studies (1980–2024) sourced from Web of Science, aiming to clarify the current state of research, identify core themes, and propose future directions. This study examines key evaluation models, the influence of spatial morphology, and their practical applications using keyword co-occurrence, citation networks, and thematic analyses. Findings show a significant rise in research over the past decade, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Core themes include thermal comfort indices (PMV, PET, and UTCI), microclimate regulation, and important spatial indicators (height-to-width ratio, sky view factor, and greening). The field is increasingly shifting towards simulation tools (such as ENVI-met and CFD) rather than traditional field measurements, with artificial intelligence emerging as a tool for predictive and regulatory purposes, though its application remains limited. However, much of the research focuses on small-scale morphological optimization and lacks a systematic framework for spatial representation. Future research should prioritize developing a comprehensive evaluation system adaptable to diverse landscapes, investigating the interplay between spatial form and thermal comfort, and advancing sustainable, low-carbon design strategies. The insights from this study provide a solid foundation for improving outdoor thermal comfort and guiding sustainable urban development through landscape architecture.

The influence of traditional Chinese ritual culture on courtyard spatial sequences is widely acknowledged. However, quantitative analytical methods, such as space syntax, have rarely been applied in studies of ritual–residential space relations. This study uses space syntax, specifically Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA) and axial maps, to conduct a quantitative study of the spatial relationship between ritual and residential areas in Prince Kung’s Mansion. The VGA results indicate a distinct gradient of visual integration, which decreases progressively from the outward-oriented ritual areas, such as the palace gate and halls, through the transitional domestic ritual areas to the inward-oriented residential areas, such as Xijin Zhai and Ledao Tang. This pattern demonstrates a positive correlation between spatial visibility and ritual hierarchy. The axial map results confirm that the central axis and core ritual spaces exhibit the highest spatial connectivity, reflecting their supreme ritual status. More importantly, spatial connectivity is intensified during ritual activities compared to in daily life, indicating that enhanced spatial connectivity is required during rituals. Ritual spaces are characterized by extroversion, high visibility, and connectivity, while residential spaces prioritize introversion and minimal exposure. The deliberately designed ritual–residential architectural spatial sequence of Prince Kung’s Mansion articulates Confucian ideological principles, such as centrality as orthodoxy, gender segregation, and hierarchy. This study visually and quantitatively illustrates the harmony between ritual and residential spaces in Prince Kung’s Mansion. It enhances our understanding of the mechanisms of expression of courtyard ritual cultural spaces, providing evidence-based guidance for functional adaptive transformations in heritage conservation practices. It also offers a fresh perspective on the analysis of courtyard ritual spaces.

During the Qing Dynasty and Republic of China, Three Essentials of Dwelling was a much-sought-after approach for the design of quadrangle dwellings, with the primary focus being on the positioning of the doorways. By employing vector data of typical quadrangle dwellings in Beijing to construct an ideal model that complies with the Three Essentials of Dwelling setting, this study aims to investigate the impact of the doorway position on the wind comfort of quadrangle dwellings through CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation, by comparing and analyzing the wind comfort of quadrangle courtyards with different doorway position layouts. The results are as follows: (1) Placing doors in the windward position during the season can make a significant difference in the courtyard wind comfort of quadrangle dwellings. (2) Compared to the direction of the doorway, the position of the doorway significantly affects the wind comfort of the courtyard in a quadrangle dwelling. (3) Keeping the position of the doorway constant, adjusting the height of the main room can be a successful strategy to improve the wind comfort of the courtyard in a quadrangle dwelling. (4) There is no link between environmental quality assessment and wind environmental quality assessment in Three Essentials of Dwelling. This study proves that the positioning of doorways can optimize the wind comfort in quadrangle dwellings, demonstrating the ancient Chinese’s ecological acumen in the layout of quadrangle houses, and providing useful guidance to designers.

The design of the enclosure layout is crucial in establishing a comfortable wind environment in Chinese classic landscape gardens. The Ruins Park of the Old Summer Palace exemplifies the mountain construction techniques used in classical Chinese flat gardens, with a diverse and illustrative spatial layout of the hills. In this study, we focused on the earthen hill space of the Old Palace in the Summer Palace Ruins Park. We compared and analyzed the effects of different enclosure layouts of earthen hill spaces on the summer monsoon wind environment. This was achieved via on-site measurements and simulations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The results show the following: (1) The direction index of the enclosure layout of the earthen hill space affects wind speed, comfort, and ventilation. Increasing the index reduces speed and comfort but improves ventilation. (2) Increasing the density index of the enclosure layout of the earthen hill space leads to a decrease in wind speed and wind comfort and improved ventilation. (3) Conversely, increasing the area index of the enclosure layout of the earthen hill space results in an increase in wind speed, which can result in better wind comfort but can also lead to poor ventilation. Overall, the results suggest that careful consideration should be given to the enclosure layout of landscape gardens to ensure optimal wind conditions within the space.

We test whether orientation rules in the Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) tradition align with microclimatic comfort in a hot–humid setting. Using CFD coupled with the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), we simulated 24 rotational orientations of a typical ancestral hall in Quanzhou, China, under summer boundary conditions. Orientations aligning the courtyard opening with prevailing south-easterly winds produced lower median UTCI, with inter-orientation differences of ~0.3 °C. Across orientations, mean radiant temperature varied little, whereas airflow differences dominated comfort outcomes. ‘Auspicious’ categories overlapped with the best-performing orientations, and Feng Shui scores correlated with UTCI (ρ = −0.60, p = 0.002) in this case study. The results frame traditional orientation heuristics as testable hypotheses and suggest context-specific pathways for climate-adaptive conservation and design.

Enhancing the wind comfort of outdoor enclosed spaces is crucial for improving visitor satisfaction at the Maritime Silk Road World Heritage site, with the arrangement of its facade being the primary factor influencing outdoor wind comfort. This study examines 50 outdoor enclosed spaces at Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, a Maritime Silk Road World Heritage site, as the research object. Through on-site measurements and CFD simulations, the influence of different outdoor enclosed space facade layouts on winter wind comfort is compared and analyzed. Here are the findings of the research: (1) The height-to-cross-section ratios of 0.37, 0.47, and 0.27 correspond to the best wind speed comfort, wind speed stability, and wind regulation amplitude. (2) Enclosure rates of 0.06, 0.42, and 0.42 are linked to the ideal wind speed comfort, wind speed stability, and wind regulation amplitude. (3) Optimal wind speed comfort, wind speed stability, and wind regulation amplitude are related to a permeability of 0.03, 0.59, and 0.03, respectively. The conclusions above can serve as scientific references for enhancing the wind comfort of outdoor enclosed spaces in the Maritime Silk Road World Heritage sites.