Domestic and Foreign Research on Natural Ventilation

What is it about?

The outbreak of COVID-19 has made people pay more attention to the health performance of buildings. Natural ventilation plays an important role in improving the indoor air quality related to health. To reveal the research situation of research on the natural ventilation of buildings at home and abroad, we take the Web of science and CNKI’s periodical literature about the natural ventilation research on buildings as the object of our research. Furthermore, we adopt the method of bibliometric analysis, and use the visualization function of the CiteSpace and VOSviewer tools. We systematically summarize the overall characteristics and evolution process of the research field. The analysis found that there are differences in research hotspots and trends in the field of building natural ventilation at home and abroad. The foreign research on the natural ventilation of buildings began earlier, and is richer and more detailed. Human health issues are the main concept throughout, with emphasis on air quality and human behaviour. In contrast, the related research in China began to be carried out late, and the overall research has shown the characteristics of decentralization, focusing on building energy conservation. Experiments and numerical simulations are the common research methods. The latest research attempts to introduce intelligent computer optimization technology to assist the natural ventilation of buildings in the design stage. Finally, summarizing the existing research results and put proposed research projects can provide the necessary basis and inspiration for research on building natural ventilation in China and contribute to the improvement of indoor air quality and the protection of the ecological environment.

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Photo by Dang Nguyen on Unsplash

Photo by Dang Nguyen on Unsplash

Why is it important?

1. Insightful Bibliometric Mapping By analyzing literature from Web of Science and CNKI with tools like CiteSpace and VOSviewer, the authors charted the evolution, trends, and hotspots in natural ventilation research, comparing international (foreign) vs Chinese (domestic) studies. This offers a clear map of how academic attention has shifted over time. 2. Identifying Research Gaps & Differences They found that foreign scholars started earlier and adopted more diverse, detailed approaches, focusing on indoor air quality and human behavior. In contrast, Chinese research lagged and was more energy-saving–focused and decentralized in scope . These distinctions guide where China can improve or adapt from international practices. 3. COVID-Driven Health Context Post‑COVID, building health features—particularly natural ventilation—have become paramount. The paper highlights how ventilation research surged with health awareness, linking architectural trends to global public health needs . 4. Emerging Trends & Tech Integration The study underscored a notable trend: integrating intelligent computer optimization (e.g., AI-assisted design) in ventilation early during the design stage. This demonstrates the field’s movement toward smart, health-oriented building environments. 5. Resource for Future Research & Policy By summarizing methods, themes, and timelines, the paper provides a robust foundation for: Academics identifying underexplored areas Practitioners integrating health and IAQ in design Policymakers crafting region-specific building ventilation standards