Al-Hashim, A; Benkari, N and Al-Saadi, S (2024) Evaluating the sustainable features of vernacular architecture in hot-arid regions: field surveys and analysis in two vernacular houses in Al Batinah region (Oman). Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 20(5), pp. 1118-1140. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
The necessity to derive sustainable building solutions from the local vernacular architecture is being increasingly asserted in the global debate about the immense energy consumption, natural resources depletion, and high levels of Green House Emissions (GHG). Paradoxically, a limited number of research has addressed this issue in the arid hot regions and much less in the Arabian Peninsula. As a contribution to this debate, the present paper evaluates the sustainable features present in the Omani vernacular houses and their efficacy in terms of thermal comfort and energy performance. A Methodology that combines on-site measurements with modelling simulations, using DesignBuilder software, was applied to achieve the three objectives assigned to this study: (a) Characterization of Vernacular Architecture in Oman and its bioclimatic features, (b) Evaluation of the thermal and energy performance of a selected vernacular house. (c) A comparison of thermal and energy performance between a vernacular dwelling and a contemporary Omani house. The numerical simulation confirmed that the vernacular construction system provides enhanced thermal performance when compared to its modern counterpart. It has also been showed that the house with a vernacular construction system requires twice less cooling energy than its modern counterpart.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bioclimatic architecture; building energy performance; passive design strategies; thermal comfort; vernacular architecture; Oman |
| Index terms: | depletion, methodology, sustainable building, energy consumption, arid regions, thermal comfort, thermal performance, modelling, energy performance, vernacular architecture, construction system, Oman, strategy, survey, natural resource, numerical simulation, passive design |
| Subjects: | energy systems, analytical methods, modelling and simulation, sustainability and energy, environmental resource management, data collection methods, heritage and conservation, environmental engineering, building construction, Geography, sustainable construction, management, physical geography and landforms, research methods |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Engineering Principles, Sustainability, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here