Environmental Features of Vernacular Architecture: The Case of Cyprus

Abstract

The sustainability of vernacular dwellings is closely connected with the fulfilment of the daily needs of the inhabitants, as well as the incorporation of multiple environmental features into their design. These environmental features ensure a climate responsive approach and improve the thermal performance of the dwellings. The vernacular architecture of Cyprus follows the main principles of vernacular architecture in the eastern Mediterranean region as a whole, and thus it is considered as a typical case study, suitable for in-depth investigation. The research findings presented here are an overview of systematic research carried out over the last ten years at the University of Cyprus, mainly through two multidisciplinary research programmes. Specifically, various environmental aspects were thoroughly investigated, starting from the selection and investigation of rural and urban settlements in different climatic areas (urban scale), moving to the building scale and to the selection of a representative number of vernacular dwellings for qualitative, as well as quantitative investigation. Following this, the research focuses on the different spaces within the dwellings (such as courtyards, semi-open spaces and subterranean areas), as well as on various passive strategies (such as ventilation and lighting), ending with the investigation of the thermal behaviour of the traditional building materials used for the erection of the aforementioned dwellings. The research reveals the necessity for a qualitative and quantitative assessment of vernacular architecture through a multicriteria process, and indicates a methodology that can be implemented in other similar cases especially around the Mediterranean area.