Shop-Houses Facing West or Southwest in Hanoi - Reconceptualised in View of Indoor Thermal Comfort and Energy Efficiency

Shop-houses remain a popular (and favourite) housing pattern in Hanoi nowadays, especially in central districts and even in new urban areas where high-rise apartment buildings are constructed on a large scale. However, in many shop-houses, both old and new ones, the “shop” and the “house” conflict with each other. In addition to noise and exhaust gas from heavy traffic flows, shop-houses facing west are largely affected by solar radiation and hot wind. Thus they should be regarded (and selected) as the most disadvantageous and difficult case study. A new layout concept will then be developed to solve the problems radically.