Basements of vernacular earth dwellings in Iran: prominent passive cooling systems or only storage spaces?

Abstract

Basements or underground living spaces are repeatedly cited in the academic literature to have been indispensable elements of vernacular dwellings in the hot and dry regions of central Iran. Empirical investigations show that these spaces can provide substantially cooler indoor temperatures in summer, accounting for the fact that dwellers traditionally used these spaces as afternoon living spaces. Nevertheless, a paradoxical situation now exists where basements in traditional houses are merely used for storage or found unoccupied and unused. This paradox is examined through research on how basements are perceived by their users. The study has used a range of different methods including a sociocultural questionnaire survey, interviews and personal observations. The findings show that there are a range of positive and negative factors attributed to basements. The positive factors have been completely outweighed by the negative ones at the time of this study, having led to the abandonment of basements as living spaces.