ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF RURAL ARCHITECTURE IN XI'AN.

In rural architecture in Xi'an, the ecological features are profound based on millennial adaptation to the semi-arid climate of the Guanzhong Plain, which is a continent-based monsoon climate, where the traditional construction methods can be seen as the high level of adaptation to environmental conditions regarding how the material is chosen, how the space is organized and how the buildings are thermally provided. Architectural tradition of the region was based on semi-subterranean theories of pit dwellings of the Yangshao Culture (around 5000 BC) and developed through the dynastic refinements into the systematized types of cave dwellings recorded in the book Shaanxi Dwelling History. The prevailing typologies, especially the cave houses and the courtyard houses, reflect the concepts of passive climate control, i.e. the earth-sheltered design approach, positional solar orientation, and the natural ventilation features that help to ensure the stable indoors temperatures with minimum energy usage. Simulations in computational fluid dynamics involving ANSYS Fluent 18.0 have confirmed on natural ventilation that the air exchange rate of 4.2-7.8 times per hour can be attained even during summer. The use of materials with lentic quality, which states respect to locally sourced earth, timber, and stone, is the guarantee of low embodied energy and entirely biodegradable materials. The comparison between the heritage conservation systems of Fujian Tulou and Southern Anhui heritage can identify transferable policy mechanisms of enhancing the Xi'an regional preservation. Modern day urbanization stressors endanger these ecologically adjusted traditions and require progressive catalogue of bestowing and transformation of the traditional concepts into the modern structures of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]