Sustainable Architecture

Buildings represent the major energy consuming sector in India. Sustainable and climate responsive architecture offers possible solutions to this high energy demand. Vernacular buildings, in contrast to modern 20th century buildings, are more climate receptive to the environment and are based on principles evolved over many generations. The traditional architecture of housing in Chettinadu, Tamil Nadu, India is known for its use of natural and passive methods for a comfortable indoor environment. However, it has not been proved by a detailed and quantitative evaluation method so far.

The paper reports the first results of research carried out at the Department of Design and BuildingConstruction of the University of Palermo analysing the problems related to the design of sustainablebuilding envelopes in the Mediterranean Basin. The paper shows the design strategies adopted by agroup of students in their graduation thesis on the recovery of Mazara del Vallo city hall in order toinvestigate the issue of existing buildings and sustainability.

Architectural design is becoming each day a more complex process while it seeks to embrace thevarious aspects of sustainability. The way how the buildings are affected by their own shape andmaterials, how the urban environment is affected by it and how this will affect the building, becomes acritical issue of the design process for sustainable architecture. The architectural design processshould be dynamic and look holistically at all building technologies and systems, including the urbandimension.

This paper concentrates on the results of sustainability caused by Courtyard as a climatic element in Iranian traditional architecture of hot-arid regions. Traditional architecture of Iran is perceived sustainable for having sustainable features. It is able to response to environmental problems from a long period.

This paper concentrates on the results of sustainability caused by Courtyard as a climatic element in Iranian traditionalarchitecture of cold regions. Traditional architectureof Iran is perceived sustainable for having sustainablefeatures. It is able to response to environmental problems from a long period. Its features are based on climatic factors as well as local construction materials of cold regions and Courtyard (hayate- markazi) is one of this features .Courtyard as one of the determining and organizing factor of traditional architecture in cold regions involves varies aspects.

Sustainable architecture design for tropical climates requires the use of natural ventilation besideseveral strategies, as appropriated materials, site location, faade orientation, solar shading, etc. Theindoor thermal comfort and thermal performance of the building depends on the bioclimatic zonewhere is located. The new Brazilian Norm ABNT NBR 15220-3 has established bioclimatic zones and guidelines for low-income houses. Due to the lack or scarcity of meteorology wind data, certainregions as Amazon and Northeast coast were inserted in a same zone.

The paper discusses the suitability of the sunken courtyard concept in the desert climate using Kuwait as a case study. It investigates three issues related to the concept: its ability to modify the harsh climate and to reduce the energy consumption, its  constrnction costs compared to aboveground building, and the occupants' attitude towards living underground. The results are shown to be all positive and will be significant to the policy-makers, designers, and homeowners.