¹Department of Architecture, School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK

Correspondence: Donia Zhang, Department of Architecture, School of the Built Environment, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK. Email: doniazhang@googlemail.com

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the physical form of the phase one new courtyard housing prototype in Juer Hutong ('Chrysanthemum Lane') of Beijing, and propose further design development for the new courtyard type. In doing so, Heliodon experiments were carried out, using architectural simulation models, to test sunlight penetration during different times of the day and different times of the year, to find the optimum courtyard proportion of plan form and building height. Furthermore, two architectural models of different courtyard sizes were created and studied, to compare their density value and plot ratio. Comparative studies were also made of four different housing types built in Beijing since 1949. The results show that the new courtyard housing type not only achieves high density, but also provides more meaningful residential lifestyle when looked at from social, cultural, architectural, environmental, and historical perspectives.