The Traditional Architecture of the Heritage Villages in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Thermal Performance Efficiency

Abstract

Architecture is considered as the primary means which created by human for protecting them from external environmental conditions and for adaptation and compensation with his environment and nature which changing by various ways from place to place depending on climatic conditions and surrounding nature and available local materials. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has many heritage villages which are unique examples of traditional architecture which are considered as the reflection of the culture, traditions, and how the community using local building materials to adapt to the warm climate of the region which has a big variation from summer to winter and also vary from extreme humidity to severe drought due to the proximity or distance from water sources. We have seen the attempts of the old Saudi architect to adapt to the climate that has emerged using many traditional smart techniques, some of which are adjoining buildings, streets, and the thickness of the walls of the building, effective attempts to improve the efficiency of the thermal performance of the internal spaces in the urban fabric of the village and buildings. The study aims are studying the environmental performance of some of the heritage villages in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the village of Al Majmaah, and the village of Hirma, in a practical way using thermal data loggers to monitor the temperature and humidity in the fabric and buildings of the heritage villages. The importance of our research is to encourage the conservation of these heritage villages, not only because they are heritage, but also because they are environmental and to encourage the use of the traditional architecture of ancient architecture for use in the current architecture. The research uses the experimental approach and the analytical approach in monitoring, analyzing, and evaluating thermal measurements. The village of Al Majmaah located in the south west of the modern city, the historic center of Majmaah includes a few heritage and archeological buildings, including the Menekh archaeological observatory, Al-Rabiah Palace, the historic Al-Sanea Academic School, the Military Palace and its annexes, the King Abdul Aziz Mosque, and its accessories. The village is located about 195 km north-west of the city of Riyadh, and the date of the establishment of the town of Hirma around 770 AH has been included as part of the state projects in the project of rehabilitation and development of the central cities of the Kingdom, which is based on the ministry of municipal and rural affairs represented by secretariats and municipalities in partnership with the general authority for tourism and national heritage.