Abstract :
Environmental and natural phenomena play a
very significant role in laying the regionʹs interrelated
cultural, economic and social infrastructures. The
buildings in the Iranian desert regions are constructed
according to the specific climatic conditions and differ
with those built in other climates. Due to lack of access to
modern heating and cooling equipment in ancient times
the architects were obliged to rely on natural energies to
render the inside condition of the buildings pleasant. In
the past, without modern facilities, it was only the
intelligent architecture of the buildings that enabled
people to tolerate the hot summer. The ventilation
structures called Badgirs were the most important means
by which the interior was cooled. The wind-catcher
operates according to the condition of the wind and sun
radiation in the region. In ancient times and in traditional
buildings in arid and dry regions the air trap functioned
like the present modern air conditioning system. Windcatcher
is like a chimney whose end is in the underground
and the top is set over a specific height on the roof and
were built at the entrance of the house over underground
water reservoirs or ponds built inside the house. The dry
and warm wind will pass over a pond with a fountain gets
cool and wet through evaporation. The Badgir’s material
again plays another role. Due to high fluctuation of
temperature differences between day and night in this
climate and night time coldness, Badgir which is made
with mud-brick, gets cool by radiation and convection.
The system works, when there is no wind, but when wind
is blowing this system does not have problems. Because
during the day, if there is wind, then cool air flows faster
and at night, with wind, it may absorb the heat of the
walls, because the night wind is cool enough.
