Within China, brick dwellings stand as archetypal relics of traditional habitation, embodying a “living fossil” status. The sustainability of these dwellings is contingent upon the integration of energy-conservation strategies. This study scrutinized and empirically assessed a representative dwelling in the Peking area. Using numerical simulations, the impact on energy consumption of factors such as insulation and glazing type, external wall thickness, insulation thickness, and solar energy utilization was evaluated. The outcomes reveal that introducing external thermal insulation—specifically, expanded polystyrene panels with a thickness of 60 mm and 40 mm for the roof and exterior walls, respectively—along with a sunspace of depth 1.5 m yielded superior energy efficiency. Additionally, substituting conventional roofing with solar tiles exhibited a potential annual electricity generation coupled with an annual solar radiation conversion efficiency of 17%. Collectively, these strategies induced a substantial reduction in annual energy consumption. This study presents tailored energy-conservation measures and provides design decision support for architects’ practical recommendations on thermal environment control of passive traditional dwellings in the Peking area.

With the implementation of China’s rural revitalization strategy, the sustainable preservation of traditional dwellings has become a research priority. Moreover, with the aging population in the countryside increasing, the limited mobility of the elderly may result in them receiving daily corneal illuminance too low for a healthy circadian stimulus. This work aims to explore the relationship between circadian and daylighting design parameters inside traditional dwellings and to develop easy-to-use methods for guiding indoor circadian design in traditional dwellings in western Hunan. Additionally, it seeks to promote the digitalization and informatization of traditional dwellings in western Hunan for preservation purposes, aiming to integrate these efforts with sustainable tourism and community development, which supports the local economy while preserving cultural heritage. The main contributions are as follows: (i) Systematic evaluation of the indoor lighting and circadian status of traditional Miao dwellings in western Hunan. (ii) Simplification and application of the CS and corneal illuminance fitting model for guiding circadian design, especially suitable for indirect indoor circadian aspects of lighting in daylight scenarios. The simplified model provides quick circadian design feedback and promotes healthy circadian concepts. Its accuracy has been verified by fitting it with simulation data from Climate Studio daylighting software. (iii) Exploration of daylighting conditions using simulation software, focusing on ρ′ (the area-weighted average of room surface reflectance), ρ (the reflectance of the surface where the first reflection occurs), and the WWR (Window-to-wall ratio) in two different types of traditional dwellings. This also includes defining the dwelling parameter intervals necessary for an appropriate circadian stimulus in traditional Miao dwellings in western Hunan. (iv) The analysis suggests that enhancing ρ′ has a greater effect on circadian lighting than WWR, indicating that increasing ρ′ should be the preferred method for achieving high-quality and efficient circadian lighting.

Although traditional Chinese wooden residential buildings have historically adapted to their respective regions, they face challenges in meeting modern living standards, particularly with regard to insufficient indoor natural lighting. This study focuses on three representative Tujia residences: the “L-shaped” dwellings, the “U-shaped” dwellings, and the courtyard residences, with the aim of improving their indoor lighting performance. Using Ecotect 2011 software for computer simulations, the study investigates the impact of altering the geometric shapes of courtyards in traditional wooden residential buildings on the lighting of the central room. The results indicate that, for the “L-shaped” dwellings, the geometric dimensions of the courtyard have little impact on the lighting of the central room. For the “U-shaped” dwellings, the optimal courtyard geometry is achieved with a well index (WI) of 1, balancing residential functionality, economic considerations, and indoor lighting performance. Regarding the courtyard residences, the best results are obtained by minimizing the building height while maximizing the well depth index to 1. Additionally, the study shows that a square layout of 90° ∗ 90° is most favorable for courtyards, effectively balancing lighting performance, functionality, and aesthetics. These findings provide valuable insights for the renovation of existing traditional residences and the design of new buildings, aiming to enhance overall indoor lighting effectiveness.