This paper reviews the results from a field survey of thermal comfort within two types of buildings; old (traditional) and new (contemporary), in Ghadames oasis in Libya. The survey was undertaken in the summer seasons 1997 and 1998, which were typical of the hot-dry climate of North Africa. It shows how the 237 residents responded to the environmental conditions. Questionnaires were collected from the residents of 51 buildings: 24 old buildings that employ natural ventilation systems with courtyards and 27 new buildings that employ air-conditioning systems.
Currently one of the most rapidly growing areas receiving attention is energy efficiency in buildings. In this context naturally ventilated buildings are an inevitable design solution. This paper reports preliminary observations of a project aimed at investigating pollution levels within these type of buildings. Due to the difficulty of predicting and controlling the amount of suspended particles entering naturally ventilated buildings an understanding of the type of pollutants, their size and their composition is necessary.
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