Table Of ContentThermal Comfort in
Hot Dry Climates
With increases in global temperatures, the risk of overheating is expected
to rise around the world. This results in a much higher dependency upon
energy-intensive cooling systems and air-conditioners to provide thermal
comfort, but how sustainable is this in a world where problems with the
production of electricity are predicted?
Vernacular houses in hot and dry central Iran have been adapted to the
climate through passive cooling techniques, and this book provides a
valuable assessment of the thermal performance of such housing. Shedding
new light on the ability of traditional housing forms to provide thermal
comfort, Thermal Comfort in Hot Dry Climates identifies the main cooling
systems and methods in traditional houses in central Iran, and examines
how architectural elements such as central courtyards, distinct seasonal
rooms, loggias, basements and wind-catchers can contribute to the provision
of thermal comfort in vernacular houses.
Ahmadreza Foruzanmehr is an academic and architect who has worked in
the UK and the Middle East on a variety of projects in both state and private
companies, and was awarded first prize in two architectural competitions
in Iran. He has published a number of peer-reviewed journal articles on
traditional passive cooling systems in Iranian architecture. In March 2008,
his research on vernacular cooling systems and thermal comfort was awarded
the top ORSAS (Overseas Research Student Award Scheme) award for
outstanding merit and research potential at Oxford Brookes University.
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Thermal Comfort in Hot Dry Climates
Traditional Dwellings in Iran
Ahmadreza Foruzanmehr
Thermal Comfort in
Hot Dry Climates
Traditional Dwellings in Iran
Ahmadreza Foruzanmehr
First published 2018
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Ahmadreza Foruzanmehr
The right of Ahmadreza Foruzanmehr to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him/her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Foruzanmehr, Ahmadreza, author.
Title: Thermal comfort in hot dry climates : traditional dwellings in Iran /
Ahmadreza Foruzanmehr.
Description: New York : Routledge, 2018. | Series: Routledge research in
architecture | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017016189| ISBN 9781138694996 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781315527130 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Architecture, Domestic—Arid regions—Iran—Yazd. |
Vernacular architecture—Environmental aspects—Iran—Yazd. | Solar air
conditioning—Passive systems—Iran—Yazd. | Yazd (Iran)—Buildings,
structures, etc.
Classification: LCC NA7117.A74 F67 2018 | DDC 728.0955/94—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017016189
ISBN: 978-1-138-69499-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-52713-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Keystroke, Neville Lodge, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton
I am immensely grateful to my family who have always supported
me in pursuing my goals. I would like to dedicate this book to
them.
Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Background and importance of the research 1
1.2 Gap in knowledge 5
1.3 Aim of the book 7
1.4 Distinctive features of the book 8
1.5 Overview of chapters 8
2 Vernacular dwellings in hot and dry climates: the city of Yazd 13
2.1 Introduction 13
2.2 Discourse of vernacular architecture 13
2.3 Vernacular architecture – current situation 16
2.4 Importance of traditional and vernacular architecture 17
2.5 Common forms of vernacular architecture: home, house
and dwelling 18
2.5.1 Vernacular dwellings in hot and dry climates 20
2.6 Iran: physical geography 21
2.6.1 Yazd 21
2.7 The traditional house in central Iran 24
2.8 Social life in traditional houses in central Iran 31
2.9 Change in traditional architectural and urban patterns 32
2.9.1 Change in street systems 32
2.9.2 Change of building patterns – orientation, materials
and form 33
2.9.3 Changes in households 37
2.9.4 Traditional courtyard houses and new occupation
patterns 37
2.9.5 Vernacular dwelling in the present day 38
2.10 Conclusions 38
viii Contents
3 Vernacular passive cooling systems in Iran 44
3.1 Introduction 44
3.2 Passive cooling – history and concept 44
3.3 Air-conditioning and its effects 46
3.4 Importance of passive cooling systems 48
3.5 Vernacular passive cooling systems 48
3.5.1 Central courtyard (hayat-e markazi) 52
3.5.1.1 Plants and water features in the
central courtyard 55
3.5.1.1.1 Pool of water (howz) in the
central courtyard 55
3.5.1.1.2 Greenery in the central courtyard 57
3.5.1.2 Courtyard level 57
3.5.1.3 Sunken garden in the central courtyard
(godal bagh-cheh) 58
3.5.1.4 Thermal performance of the central
courtyard 59
3.5.1.5 Privacy in the central courtyard 61
3.5.1.6 Advantages and disadvantages of the
central courtyard 61
3.5.2 Loggia (talar or eyvan) 62
3.5.2.1 Talar and eyvan 62
3.5.2.2 The use of the loggia 65
3.5.2.3 Thermal effect of the loggia 65
3.5.2.4 Loggia and its transformation in
non-traditional houses 65
3.5.3 Distinct seasonal rooms (otagh-haye fasli) 66
3.5.3.1 North-facing summer rooms 70
3.5.3.2 South-facing winter rooms 71
3.5.3.3 East-facing and west-facing rooms 72
3.5.3.4 Comfort and seasonal rooms 72
3.5.4 Underground living spaces 73
3.5.4.1 Basement and cellar (zir-zamin and sardab) 73
3.5.4.2 Sardab 77
3.5.4.3 Positive and negative points about the
basement 78
3.5.5 Walls (divar) 79
3.5.5.1 Thick lofty walls and their thermal effects 79
3.5.5.2 Thick and high walls and their effect on
privacy 80
3.5.5.3 Thick walls and cultural identity 81
Contents ix
3.5.6 Wind-catcher (badgir) 81
3.5.6.1 Variety of wind-catchers 83
3.5.6.2 Construction of the Yazdi wind-catcher 84
3.5.6.3 The wind-catcher as a passive cooling
system 85
3.5.6.4 Functions of the wind-catcher 85
3.5.6.5 Water and the wind-catcher in Yazd 87
3.5.6.6 Control and the wind-catcher 87
3.5.6.7 Symbolic values of the wind-catcher 88
3.5.6.8 Disadvantages of wind-catchers 88
3.6 Conclusions 89
4 Thermal comfort in buildings 96
4.1 Introduction 96
4.2 Thermal comfort 96
4.3 Physical measures: environmental factors, clothing
and metabolic rate 97
4.3.1 Air temperature 97
4.3.2 Radiant temperature 98
4.3.3 Air velocity 99
4.3.4 Relative humidity 100
4.3.5 Clothing and metabolic rate 100
4.4 Thermal comfort research 101
4.4.1 Physiological comfort model 101
4.4.2 Field studies (field surveys) and adaptive comfort 103
4.4.2.1 Review of field studies 104
4.4.2.2 The adaptive model 110
4.4.2.3 Comfort temperature and comfort zone 113
4.5 Conclusions 115
5 Summertime thermal comfort in vernacular earth dwellings
in Yazd, Iran 120
5.1 Introduction 120
5.2 Thermal comfort survey – method of investigation 120
5.3 Temperature variation measurements – method of
investigation 121
5.4 Analysis of the thermal comfort survey in Yazd 124
5.4.1 Distribution of sensation votes (comfort votes) and
preference votes 125
5.4.2 Correlation coefficient between sensation votes and
preference votes 127
