Bioclimatic design for the NW Provinces, PR China. Identifying needs - Upgrading technologies

The paper argues the potential advantages of environmentally conscious design from the point of view of both user and state. Traditional building materials and design are examined vis-a-vis modern ones in an attempt to find regional roots for future requirements, estimated to reach well over half a billion square meters in the next few years. Alternative strategies suggested hereby are based on research undertaken in recent years in the deserts of P.R. China and Israel. They evolve through the adoption of bioclimatic principles and adaptation of existing forms and technologies, showing that bioclimatic design is mainly a matter of conception, and that energy conservation and thermal comfort conditions may be achieved by simple means, within existing forms and technologies. The data presented here have been obtained with the help of thermal simulation tools applied on a number of housing types and technologies common throughout P.R. China.