Abstract:

【Objective】 This study provides a new perspective for research relating to the elements of classical gardening in areas south of the Yangtze River with respect to microclimate. With the help of microclimate digital simulation software, the specific microclimate effects of various landscape elements are investigated as a means of providing useful suggestions for the construction of small and medium-sized gardening spaces in the context of climate adaptability. 【Method】 The central part of the Suzhou Lingering Garden space was selected as the study area for micro-climate field measurements, which initially explored the basic microclimate characteristics and the changes in the thermal environment parameters during the winter and summer. Based on the preliminary measured data, we selected ENVI-met software to simulate the quantitative change in the landscape elements in the Lingering Garden, and to analyze the influence of the water area, vegetation canopy density, and building density and height on the microclimate. 【Result】 These three various landscape elements had different influences on the microclimate. They had a certain degree of influence on the wind environment, and the adjustment of the water area and vegetation canopy density to the temperature and humidity was significantly greater than that of the building height and density. The former two elements showed strong cooling and humidification effects during the daytime, especially during the summer afternoons, but the regulation effect on the thermal environment did not increase with an increase in its parameters.【Conclusion】 Using the appropriate thresholds for each element setting allows a balance to be attained among the garden function, the landscape experience, and the thermal comfort; thus allowing for a more effective regulation of the wind and heat environment of a garden.

Key words: classical garden in areas south of the Yangtze River, landscape elements, climate adaptability, numerical simulation, Lingering Garden