Whole Life-Cycle Ecological Footprint of Rural Existing Houses in Northern China

To solve the increasing contradiction between the living environment and residential energy consumption in rural areas, it is urgent to alter the traditional living mode and create a new living pattern with a pleasant environment. Based on the theory of ecological footprint, in this article we compare the whole life-cycle ecological footprint between the northern rural house with various energy-saving measures and the urban multi-layer residence with only external wall thermal-insulation as the energy-saving measure. The results show that the sustainability of the multi-layer residence is obviously superior to the rural house. Therefore, rural house designers should learn the multi-layer residential design strategies, construction methods, and operation modes to reduce the unnecessary waste of the energy and resources. Through centralized planning, construction, and heating systems, the multi-level residence is conducive to sustainable human development. The study provides relevant theoretical support for low-carbon house construction in village areas.