A field investigation and comparative study of indoor environmental quality in heritage Chinese rural buildings with thick rammed earth wall

Tulou buildings (World Heritage Site) are a unique kind of rural buildings with rammed earth and in a wooden framework, distributed across the southeastern China. In this study, a field investigation of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in these traditional rural buildings was conducted and compared with that in normal rural buildings in the region. The IEQ concerned include indoor thermal, luminous, acoustic environment and indoor air quality. Both field measurements of key parameters and residents’ subjective surveys were conducted in this investigation. Results show that the residents in Tulou buildings had better satisfaction of indoor thermal environment and overall indoor environmental quality than normal rural residents did, while they had a poorer satisfaction of indoor acoustic environment mainly due to larger tourist flow. Regarding the luminous environment and indoor air quality, the sensations for the residents in Tulou and normal rural buildings were of no obvious distinction. In general, the results from on-site measurement were in agreement with those obtained by results from residents’ subjective survey. Additionally, the possible reasons for the differences in IEQ between Tulou buildings and normal rural buildings were discussed.

► Indoor environmental quality in heritage Tulou buildings was studied by survey and measurements.
► Unique construction and operation of Tulou contributed to better thermal performances.
► The results would be useful for future indoor environment improvement in rural buildings.