Designing for Comfort:The application of Landscape Elements in Microclimate Regulation and Staff Productivity

The paper presents a quantitative study analyzing how Classical Chinese Gardens (CCGs) have the capacity to regulate the microclimate and the potential effects on the productivity of staff through the Humble Administrator Garden at Suzhou. The study uses a combination of field measurements and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis to determine the effect of important landscape features, such as vegetation, water bodies, architecture, pathways, and corridors, on vital microclimate attributes, such as the air temperature, surface temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity. The study results show that vegetation has a strong cooling effect (β =0.875), humidity control effect (β = 0.250) and all water bodies have a strong cooling effect (β = 0.875) but a weak warming effect (β = 0.125) and Buildings and hard surfaces have a strong cooling effect (β = 0.875) and a weak effect (β = −0.008) of reducing the wind speeds and surface temperatures in corridors, respectively. Among them, trees would offer the best cooling (score 5), grasslands would do the best at controlling the humidity and wind speed (score 5), and water bodies would also contribute to the humidity regulation (score 4) significantly. Combining these results with an existing scheme of thermal sensation and work efficiency, the paper demonstrates the capacity of the microclimate changes to be applied to cognitive functioning and productivity. The study reveals practical recommendations in implementing the traditional Chinese garden design framework to the modern urban space and workspace setting, and presents approaches to enhancing the environmental sustainability, the thermal comfort and finally, the well-being of the staff and their productivity.