Typological Analysis of Vernacular Residential Buildings in Moderate-Humid Climate of North Iran

Abstract

Nowadays due to the pressing need for sustainable solutions in construction industry, vernacular architecture is recognized as a valuable resource to confront this challenge. Although there is a dominant hot arid climate in the majority areas of Iran, the southern coast of Caspian Sea benefits mild and humid climate owing to its particular geographic situation. This diversity in climatic conditions demands different architectural requirements. This study aims to derive the features causing their adjustment and harmony with the environment by identifying and describing architectural characteristics of the remained houses of the last century; as a consequent step, the recognized properties are presented as usable suggestions to be applied in the design of contemporary residential buildings in this area and to some extent in other regions with similar climatic conditions. This work is carried out by investigating six selected cases of the plain zone in three subject categories of morphological study, construction techniques, and climatic analysis. The findings reveal that the design strategies extracted from traditional architecture in the mild humid climate of this region are still applicable and could lead to low energy buildings.