Architect’s Intervention Approach to the Spontaneous Green Evolution of Vernacular Buildings

The courtyard building (CB) is a vernacular architecture widely distributed around the world and is characterized by the courtyard open to the sky. However, evidence suggests that in Hebei, China, courtyards are being roofed (CBR) by locals with different materials. The phenomenon of CBR is considered a renovation strategy for climate adaptation, as it can improve the thermal performance of the originally weak building envelope by strengthening the overall airtightness and collecting and storing solar energy, and provide residents with a cleaner and larger indoor space. The CBR phenomenon has the characteristics of anonymous and spontaneous, suffering from the deterioration of indoor air quality caused by unreasonable system design and high construction costs caused by low degree of industrialization. This work proposes an architect-mediated approach emphasizing the participation of governments, manufacturers, researchers, engineers, residents, and folk artisans to promote the better development of CBR. The proposed approach includes: (1) Identifying the evolution mechanism of CBR based on computer vision and remote sensing images; (2) Clarifying the benefits and potential risks of CBR through virtual simulation and field measurements; (3) Developing a technical system with better performance and lower price according to the identified technical defects and conduct on-site verification; (4) Exploring the efficient promotion path of the optimized technology, involving multi-party collaboration and fitting the identified CBR development mechanism. The research results are helpful to understand the evolution mechanism of vernacular architecture in contemporary times and promote the green development of courtyard buildings.