The improvement of building and living conditions in high-cold areas has always been an issue worthy of attention, but there is currently no research using field survey data for evaluation. The Ganzi region, based in the western plateau of China, is a typical example for such a study. Restricted by factors such as natural conditions and economic level, the winter indoor thermal environment of western plateau houses is generally poor. Taking the new residential houses in the Ganzi region as a case study, the authors of this paper conducted field research and analyses. First, the authors analyzed the construction technology and functional layout of the building through thermal environment testing and investigation; second, the authors analyzed the user’s activity path according to the production and lifestyle; thirdly, the authors comprehensively evaluated the indoor thermal comfort through questionnaires and a predicated mean vote (PMV)-predicted percentage dissatisfied (PPD) evaluation model. The research results showed that: (1) the construction technology, functional layout, and temperature distribution of the new residential building were consistent with the user’s activity path, which could effectively improve thermal insulation ability and thermal comfort; (2) compared to the developed eastern regions, the users in the building showed a stronger tolerance and wider acceptable temperature range in the extreme climate environment; and (3) under certain cooperative work conditions, an indoor temperature of 10–14 °C could meet basic thermal environment requirements and thus lower the limits of the standards. The author’s method was proven to be more resilient than current standards in dealing with climate change. Therefore, this research can provide a practical reference for the improvement of peoples’ living conditions and sustainable development in cold regions and other harsh areas.

The journal retracts the article entitled “Climate Adaptability Analysis on the Shape of Outpatient Buildings for Different Climate Zones in China Based on Low-Energy Target” by Wei et al [...]

Under the impact of COVID-19 and the needs for urban expansion, a large number of outpatient buildings have been rapidly constructed, but the problem of high energy consumption has always been ignored. There is a lack of research on the adaptability of building shape in different climate zones. Many studies have shown that a reasonable shape in the early stage of design can significantly reduce the energy consumption of buildings. Therefore, it helps if architects quickly select a reasonable shape that can effectively reduce energy consumption. This study summarized a number of outpatient building cases in China and proposed three typical building shapes: centralized-type (Shape-1), corridor-type (Shape-2), and courtyard-type (Shape-3). The Design Builder tool was used to simulate and analyze the typical building energy consumption in different climate zones. The simulation results show that Shape-2 (angle: 0°) should be chosen in severe cold zone; Shape-1 (angle: 90°) should be chosen in cold zone; Shape-1 (angle: 0°) should be chosen in hot summer and cold winter zone; Shape-1 (angle: 60°) should be chosen in hot summer and warm winter zone; and Shape-1 or Shape-2 can be chosen in warm zone. The results of this study can provide suggestions for the energy saving design of outpatient buildings in China and other areas with similar conditions. The result can help architects make rapid shape selection in the early stage of design.