Adapting architectural form of residential buildings in hot climates : Two case studies from Muscat, Oman.
المصدر
The journal of engineering research (TJER), v. 18, no. 2, p. 72-81.
الناشر
College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University.
العنوان الأصلي
Adapting architectural form of residential buildings in hot climates : Two case studies from Muscat, Oman.
الملخص الإنجليزي
The discourse on energy-efficient buildings tends to shift out of the realm of architecture and into
engineering and programming. In the latter disciplines, sophisticated solutions are always being developed and
introduced to the green building industry. However, such solutions require financial and technical capacities that
are only found in technologically highly developed countries. In developing countries and their ever-growing
metropolises, a much more robust approach seems appropriate. This paper explores how the energy demand for
creating comfortable interior environments in very hot climates can be significantly reduced by promoting
straightforward architectural means. It seeks to relocate the discourse back into the realm of design, where less
costly, more feasible, and long-lasting solutions can be found. The paper presents two case studies of residential
architecture in Muscat, Oman. Through simulations of solar insolation as well as daylight studies, it shows how
architectural form can respond to two solar phenomena - heat and light – in such a way that insolation on glazed
facades is minimized, while illuminance of interiors is optimized. It claims that this can lead to a new regional
architectural idiom that puts the famous modernist credo on its head by stating that energy-efficient buildings in a
hot climate zone require “light and air, but no sun”.
المعرف
DOI:10.53540/tjer.vol18iss2pp72-81
