Environmental performance evaluation of vernacular architectures through CASBEE

Vernacular architectures exhibit high environmental performance. In this study, we evaluate the environmental performance of vernacular architectures quantitatively and comprehensively through CASBEE in order to promote sustainable buildings. On the basis of this intention, we analyzed the indoor environment of vernacular architectures from the perspective of environmental engineering by taking on-site measurements and using CFD numerical analysis. In this study, we focused our attention on Water Housing in Malaysia. The result of evaluating the environmental performance through CASBEE was that Water Housing exhibited a high environmental performance when both the environmental load and quality were included. Water Housing is more comfortable than a local house above the land and it offers effective evaporative cooling as a result of using water and provides proper ventilation. The assessment introduced here demonstrates both the environmental performance of vernacular architectures from multiple perspectives and the efficiency of CASBEE as an environmental performance visualization tool.