Qilou Building Climate Adaptation in Tropical Climate Zone of China: A Study on Haikou Qilou Buildings

Qilou buildings as a type of modern buildings in southeast China play an important role in the local social life. In this paper, we selected the representative Haikou Qilou building as an example. Through long-term observation and testing under typical climate conditions, we introduced the Qilou building strategies that respond to the natural environment. By comparing these strategies, we can find whether these strategies meet indoor thermal comfort. Through the study, we found that Haikou Qilou buildings can effectively solve the outdoor sheltering problem, but the long depth of Qilou building makes it difficult to effectively distribute indoor heat by using pressure ventilation. As a result, the actual indoor temperature is higher than indoor comfort temperature by 1-2 °C. Finally, according to the results of the study, some advices are offered to improve Qilou buildings.