Light, Air, and (No) Sun. Negotiating Illuminance, Ventilation and Insolation Through Architectural Form To Achieve Energy-Efficiency and Comfort in Residential Buildings in Very Hot Climates: Two Case Studies from Muscat, Oman

Abstract

The discourse on energy-efficient buildings tends to shift out of the realm of architecture and into engineering and programming. In the latter disciplines, sophisticated solutions are developed and introduced to the green building industry. However, such solutions require financial and technical capacities that are only found in technologically highly developed countries. In developing countries and their ever-growing metropolises, a much more robust approach seems appropriate. This paper explores how the energy-demand for creating comfortable interior environments in very hot climates can be significantly reduced by promoting simple and straightforward architectural means. It seeks to relocate the discourse back into the realm of design, where less costly, more feasible and long-lasting solutions can be found. The paper presents two case studies of residential architecture in Muscat, Oman. Through simulations of solar insolation as well as daylight studies, it shows how architectural form can respond to two solar phenomena - heat and light – in such a way that insolation on glazed facades is minimized, while illuminance of interiors is optimized. It claims that this can lead to a new regional architectural idiom that puts the famous modernist credo on its head by stating that energy-efficient buildings in a hot climate zone require “light and air, but no sun”.