A Systematic Review of Natural Ventilation in Vernacular Architecture of Humid Temperate Climates
Keywords:
Natural ventilation, vernacular architecture, temperate and humid climate, systematic review, hermal comfort, computational fluid dynamicsAbstract
This study aimed to conduct a systematic and bibliometric review of research on natural ventilation in vernacular architecture of humid temperate climates to identify major research trends, dominant ventilation strategies, conceptual knowledge structures, and existing research gaps. A systematic review combined with bibliometric analysis was conducted. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database, and 2,280 publications published between 1978 and 2026 were analyzed. VOSviewer and Bibliometrix software were employed to examine publication trends, international scientific collaboration, citation patterns, keyword networks, and the conceptual structure of the field. The findings indicated that cross ventilation, accounting for 42% of identified strategies, was the most frequently used natural ventilation approach in vernacular buildings, whereas stack ventilation, with 16%, had the lowest occurrence. The field entered a phase of accelerated scientific growth after 2020. The highest average citation impact was observed in 2021, reaching 150 citations per article. China ranked first with 509 publications, while Iran contributed 40 publications with 30% international collaboration. Keyword analysis revealed that “natural ventilation,” “thermal comfort,” “computational fluid dynamics,” and “vernacular architecture” were the most influential research themes. The results demonstrate that vernacular natural ventilation strategies, particularly cross ventilation, can substantially improve thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency in humid temperate climates. Furthermore, integrating traditional climatic knowledge with advanced numerical simulation techniques offers a promising pathway toward sustainable and low-energy architectural design.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Pouya Fotovatian Ardabili (Author); Seyed Yaser Mousavi; Ali Asgharzadeh (Author)
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