The volcanic-rock dwellings are a special kind of traditional vernacular architecture with high value of research, which located in the north of the Hainan Island in China. In order to clarify the thermal mechanism differences between volcanic-rock dwellings and modern dwellings in Haikou, the main factors affecting the thermal comfort of dwellings are analyzed through investigations of indoor thermal environment in the Yangshan lava area of Haikou. The results show that the volcanic-rock dwelling can achieve 10h (from 23:30-9:30 the next day) with air temperature under 28.7℃ in a comfortable thermal indoor environment without air-conditioning cooling equipment, while the rooms on the ground floor of modern dwelling can achieve 1h around sunrise, and the room on the top floor is completely outside the thermal comfort zone. Temperature difference between exterior and interior of volcanic-rock wall and wooden window can reach a maximum of 6.7 ℃ and 2.8 ℃ respectively, which shows that the envelope of volcanic-rock dwelling has a good thermal insulation performance. It is necessary to inherit the space prototypes and climate-adaptive strategies of traditional residential buildings when designing a new building, which play a significant role on providing a comfortable indoor thermal environment.

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A courtyard is an essential space for natural lighting and natural convective ventilation of residential buildings in hot-humid climates. This study focuses on the internal courtyard configuration on the thermal performance of long strip houses (LSH) in the hot-climate area of Hainan Island, China. The aim is to identify the best design parameters for the courtyard to improve thermal comfort in modern LSH design. Appropriate strategies, including Mahoney table, field investigation, and CFD simulation, are used to determine thermal performance. As a result, the design guidelines of the courtyard are proposed to optimize the thermal comfort towards energy saving. The study reveals the spatial characteristics and climate regulation of internal courtyards in traditional LSH. In addition, the simulation results show that the enclosure with a shaded cover and a high ratio of H/D is conducive to thermal environment and ventilation, and the section of contracted shape from bottom to top is a preferred option in the internal courtyard configuration. This study should, therefore, be of value in designing practical projects with an interior courtyard for architects.