Optimization Design of the Landscape Elements in the Lhasa Residential Area Driven by an Orthogonal Experiment and a Numerical Simulation

Abstract

Landscape elements have become an important means to improve the quality of life of residents because of their direct influence on the thermal environment, but the selection and configuration of landscape elements have different effects on human thermal comfort in different climate conditions. In this research, the typical residential area of Lhasa in Tibet was taken as the research object, the experimental scheme was prepared using an orthogonal test, and the simulation was carried out using ENVI-met to explore the influences of the green configuration, water area, and ground reflectance, as well as their interaction with the thermal environment in winter and summer under alpine climate conditions. Taking the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) as the optimization index, the optimal design scheme for the synergistic effect of the residential landscape elements was determined. The results were as follows. (1) The order of the landscape configuration factors was as follows: green configuration > water area > leaf area index > ground reflectance in summer. In winter, the order was green configuration > water area > ground reflectance > leaf area index (LAI). (2) With the combined driving of the orthogonal test and the numerical simulation, the optimal scheme of the landscape elements was determined, which was “tree shrub lawn, water area ratio 16%, ground reflectance 0.5, and LAI = 3 m2/m3”. (3) Finally, the optimal design strategy of the landscape configuration was proposed for the typical outdoor active space of the Lhasa residential area.