This study introduces an innovative hybrid framework for the sustainable design of meditation centers by integrating entropy-weighted fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) with principles of cultural sustainability. While conventional sustainable design assessment methods predominantly emphasize technical environmental performance, they remain insufficient for meditation center design, where contemplative experience, cultural continuity, and spatial meaning are equally essential. In response to this gap, this research reinterprets the Mogao Caves as an exemplar of “deep sustainability,” where environmental, social, and cultural dimensions are integrated in a mutually reinforcing manner. Through a systematic analysis of the spatial and artifactual heritage of the Mogao Caves, a robust and quantifiable evaluation system consisting of 27 indicators was developed, spanning architectural design, spatial organization, seating iconography depicted in the murals, and decorative elements. The novelty of this study lies in establishing a heritage-informed and data-driven framework that translates historical spatial wisdom into a contemporary sustainable design assessment model. By applying the entropy-weighting method, the study identifies Functional Diversity (0.087) and Symbolic Representation (0.071) as indicators with comparatively greater discriminative contribution within the present sample, highlighting the importance of programmatic adaptability and cultural expression in meditation center design. The FCE model was applied to 156 valid questionnaire responses, enabling a multi-criteria evaluation of 11 meditation centers worldwide, among which the Fujian Longyan Dahe Meditation Center achieved the highest score (73.032). The findings indicate that the proposed framework offers a more balanced basis for evaluating meditation center design by integrating functional performance with cultural continuity and spatial meaning.
Li et al. (Mon,) studied this question.