Fatemeh Mehdizadeh Saraj - Department of architecture and urbanism, Iran University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran, Iran

Attention to those days that using irreversible and fossil based energy sources was not common yet, could lead towards the achievement of very valuable solutions in the optimum usage of natural energy sources. Considering the fact that all design stages were being done simultaneously, was the key point in the resultant integrity of buildings. Moreover, training craftsmen and workmanship was different from today. Firstly the length of education was quite long and secondly the education system was practical and being run in the workshops. Thirdly the education was continuous through several generations and this continuity was the reason of integrity in the architecture of each region. In this way, with reviewing all traditional adaptations to climatic conditions by our ancestors, we can learn the methods of efficient and optimum usage of natural energy sources which is the only solution of preserving built environment in modern days. This paper focused on hard climatic conditions of Iran including hot-dry, hot-humid and cold zones and described their methods of conformity with their environment using merely natural energy sources alongside with their proper housing design.

natural energy, built environment, traditional architecture, climate