An architectural taxonomic proposal for passive design strategies used in traditional architecture of areas with hot and dry climates

Abstract

Global environmental problems are one of the most critical problems of humankind. Increasing energy consumption and CO2 emissions are among the most important causes of global environmental problems. The existing building sector is vital in increasing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Buildings are responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and about 40% of energy consumption. Energy used for heating and cooling is one of the most important causes of energy consumption in the building sector. Reducing the energy used for heating and cooling is possible with sustainable building design. One of the most essential criteria of sustainable building design is using passive air conditioning strategies. Traditional architecture is a crucial guide for using passive air conditioning elements. This paper presents an architectural taxonomic proposal for passive cooling strategies used in traditional architecture in hot and dry climate areas of the globe. The aim is to facilitate and simplify access to all cooling strategies and provide a guide for their adaptation to modern architecture. A total of 55 passive cooling strategies were identified in the research. Within the taxonomic proposal's scope, the strategy was first divided into four groups: settlement scale, building scale, space scale, and building environment scale, depending on the usage criteria. Then, this grouping was split into 16 subgroups. A taxonomic proposal was created by considering the intended use of the identified strategies. The findings indicate that although traditional architecture in hot and dry climates primarily focuses on heat protection and heat dissipation is also highly utilized. It has been determined that thermal insulation, shading and natural ventilation cooling strategies come to the fore. In addition, it has been determined that approximately 50% of the strategies used for cooling purposes are related to thermal insulation, shading, and natural ventilation. The taxonomic proposal guides modern adaptations in the built environment by combining traditional passive design strategies and simplifying their use. It can also be adapted to different climates and contribute to creating new modern building design guidelines.