Adaptive design strategies for thermal comfort in waterfront campsites during summer in hot and humid regions

Camping has increasingly gained popularity as an outdoor leisure activity in China. This study investigated four spatial contexts within waterfront campsites in hot and humid regions, utilizing physical measurements and questionnaire surveys. Physiological equivalent temperature (PET) was employed to assess outdoor thermal comfort. Additionally, thermal index simulations were conducted using the ENVI-met model, establishing a linear relationship between simulated results and actual measurements. Results indicated: (1) Air temperature was the meteorological factor that significantly influenced campers' thermal sensations. (2) Campers in spaces with lower sky view factor (SVF) exhibited better adaptability to the thermal environment. (3) The thermal index simulated by ENVI-met overestimated participants' thermal sensations, leading to a proposed algorithm for refining the thermal index model. (4) Campers preferred low-intensity activities in low SVF spaces and moderateto-high-intensity activities in high SVF spaces. The recommended campsite design involved a U-shaped planting arrangement and tall broadleaf tree species based on camper preferences. These findings assisted urban designers and planners in understanding and predicting campers' thermal comfort and adaptive behaviors in hot and humid regions, facilitating improvements in campsite design.