Nowadays, in certain places in the world, it is unthinkable to live through the hot seasons without air conditioning, which brings different side effects that directly affect the environment and even our pockets.
However, there is a way to replace the air conditioning (which can generate large bills) in our homes. Just look at how some houses in southern China manage to maintain lower temperatures than outside, up to 4.3°C lower, using an ancient construction technique.
BBC Mundo recently published a report on this curious fact and how in this Asian country they have managed to turn around the need for air conditioning in their new constructions that they have had to build due to the exponential growth of their urbanization, placing in houses and buildings internal patios.
Taking advantage of the fact that the Chinese government is promoting innovation in construction so that they have a low carbon footprint, some historic buildings are being rescued to preserve their interior courtyards, which are being restored.
The inner courtyard, or tiān jǐng (天井, in Mandarin), is a typical feature of traditional houses in southern and eastern China. They are different from those we find in houses in the north of this country, where they are larger and more exposed to external environments.
According to a document published in 2010 by the Journal of Nanchang University, these constructions were made in the periods of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, designed to house several generations of family members.
Although sizes and designs vary, interior patios are usually rectangular and located in the center of the houses; Furthermore, they are surrounded by rooms and perhaps some walls. There are houses that can have more than one.
These patios were designed and placed in strategic locations within the homes to cool them, since at that time, air conditioning did not exist.
When the wind blows over the patio of a house, it can enter the interior space through the opening. Since the outside air is usually colder than the inside air, the breeze moves down through the walls to the lower floors, creating air flows, replacing the warmer inside air, which rises and leaves through the opening.
Other functions are to let in light, improve ventilation and collect rainwater.
This technique was taken up 2 decades ago, with the resurgence of traditional Chinese architecture, and today it is common to find an interior patio in any construction.
As a transition space between the internal and external environment, the patio acts as an efficient thermal protector to protect residents from hot air from outside. But most of the cooling effect of the inner courtyard occurs when there are bodies of water in the area.
As the water evaporates, it cools the hot air. This process is known as evaporative cooling and that is why it is important that patios have rain collection systems so that it evaporates and creates a cool environment.
Currently, government regulations are beginning to play an important role in the return of interior courtyards to modern buildings. Since 2013, China’s central government has encouraged the construction of green buildings, which save resources and emit less pollution throughout their useful life.
Architects are now examining the principles of inner courtyards to design new buildings that have lower energy consumption.
Keep reading:
* The list of appliances that use the most energy, even when turned off
* 5 ways to reduce air conditioning costs this summer
* How does air conditioning or heating influence obesity?