Traditional architecture to enhance occupants' well-being for a sustainable future in the Middle East.

Fardous, Isra'a; Bennadji, Amar

Abstract

This paper is part of PhD research questioning to what extent modern adaptations to traditional architecture can affect occupants' well-being by modulating temperature and relative humidity. The research aims to assess traditional architecture in the modern context to understand people's physical and psychological needs and preferences. With focus on building performance; temperature as an indicator for thermal comfort. In order to clarify the importance of integration between building environmental parctices and cultural perceptual aspects. With the growth of the population and the urgent need for more dwellings in the Middle East (ME), much of the traditional architectural knowledge that takes the environment into account has been put aside, resulting in an increasing demand for international design concepts. This research attempts to contribute to the study of environmental design in the service of improved human well-being. This involves questions of how to improve the relationship in order to ensure a sustainable future in the Arab region of the ME. An experiment is in progress to assess temperature and relative humidity in three different types of buildings. Only the initial results collected from the traditional buildings will be discussed in this paper. The researcher will emphasize people's perceptions, behaviors and decisions and their views of culutral existence and change.

Citation

FARDOUS, I.S. and BENNADJI, A. 2016. Traditional architecture to enhance occupants' well-being for a sustainable future in the Middle East. In Amoêda, R., Lira, S. and Pinheiro, C. (eds.) Proceedings of the 5th International conference on heritage and sustainable development (Heritage 2016), 12-15 July 2015, Lisbon, Portugal. Barcelos: Green Lines Institute [online], pages 489-498. Available from: http://heritage.greenlines-institute.org/en/heritage-2016

• Conference Name: 5th International conference on heritage and sustainable development (Heritage 2016)
• Conference Location: Lisbon, Portugal
• Start Date: Jul 12, 2016
• End Date: Jul 15, 2016
• Acceptance Date: May 20, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jul 12, 2016
• Publication Date: Jul 7, 2016
• Deposit Date: Sep 21, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 21, 2016
• Publisher: Green Lines Institute for Sustainable Development
• Pages: 489-498
• ISBN: 9789898734136
• Keywords: Traditional architecture; Middle East; Cultural impact on wellbeing
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1821
• Publisher URL: http://heritage.greenlines-institute.org/en/heritage-2016