Energy Efficiency in Traditional Iranian Courtyard Houses: Lessons for Modern Passive Design

In the context of escalating climate change, resource scarcity, and growing energy demands, passive architectural strategies have gained renewed importance as low-carbon solutions for sustainable building design. This study investigates the energy-efficient characteristics of traditional Iranian courtyard houses-specifically those in hot-arid cities such as Yazd, Isfahan, Kerman, and Kashan as exemplary models of climate-responsive architecture. These dwellings, developed over centuries in response to extreme desert conditions, incorporate a range of passive design elements including central courtyards, thick thermal mass walls, subterranean rooms, wind catchers (badgirs), and water features to naturally regulate indoor climate without mechanical systems. The research adopts a qualitative comparative synthesis of existing academic literature and environmental simulation studies to identify recurring design strategies and assess their thermal performance and architectural logic. Findings highlight the effectiveness of integrated passive systems, the importance of climatic and cultural specificity, and the high impact of low-tech interventions in achieving thermal comfort, reducing energy loads, and enhancing daylight quality. By drawing lessons from these vernacular models, the study offers practical insights for the design of contemporary sustainable buildings in similar climatic contexts. It argues that traditional Iranian courtyard houses provide a replicable, culturally resonant, and ecologically intelligent framework for rethinking passive design in an era of environmental uncertainty. The research ultimately advocates for a design approach that fuses historical knowledge with modern sustainability goals, positioning vernacular architecture as a valuable resource in the pursuit of climate resilience.

کلیدواژه ها:

Vernacular Architecture ، Energy Efficiency ، Iranian Architecture ، Passive Energy Design