Impacts of Changes to Traditional Buildings and Materials in a Tropical Rain Forest Area in Southwest China: a case study of Xishuangbanna

This paper addresses the issues of how to achieve comfort in the moderate to extreme climate of southwest China in the area known as Xishuangbanna. This is an autonomous prefecture designated for the Dai ethnic group located in the south of Yunnan Province, which borders both Myanmar and Laos. It has extensive areas of lowland tropical rain forest. Dry and rainy seasons occur with significant rainfall occurring during the wet season between May and October. Traditional bamboo and timber buildings evolved to accommodate the wet and hot climate including being raised above the ground. Contemporary buildings are constructed using concrete and brick, together with traditional materials. The authors visited the Dai area and surveyed villagers’ houses, and gathered weather data for the Mengla area in Xishuangbanna for analysis using bioclimatic techniques. The results showed that natural ventilation cooling, internal heat gains and sun-shading of windows are most effective passive measures to control internal comfort. The authors suggest that there is an opportunity to improve comfort and reduce the requirements for cooling and heating systems in dwellings by adopting climate sensitive design
approach. This requires integration of traditional building techniques and materials with support from appropriate
craftsmen and professionals.