Shelter and

ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE I
(HVAC) Climate
 Shelter and Climate
Lecture Contents
 Climate Adaptation
 Evolution of Shelter
 Site and Climate
 Shelter and Climate
 Hot Dry Climate, Warm Humid
Climate, Cold Climate, Temperate
Climate
 Building Materials Preference
 Evolution of Shelter
 Shelter is the main instrument for meeting human
comfort.

 It modifies the natural environment to optimum

conditions of livability

 The most common form of shelter is housing,

however shelter has evolved in different forms, as
huts, shades, tents, trailers and even houseboats.
 Evolution of Shelter

 Stone shelters(caves)
 Tents: bone, straw,
animal skin
 Huts: wood, thatch
 Mud Houses: sun
dried, fired brick,
adobe, wattle & daub
 Dry Stone
construction
 Composite
Construction
 Shelter In Hot Dry Climates
Nature of the climate
 Hot dry climates are characterized by very
hot, dry air and dry ground.
 Day-time air temperature usually higher than
31°C, at night it may fall as much as 22 °C
 Humidity is continuously moderate to low
 Little or no cloud cover and minimal rainfall
 Shelter In Hot Dry Climates
SHELTER IN HOT DRY
CLIMATES
 Buildings in hot dry climates
feature heat and sun control,
and often try to increase
humidity.
 They take advantage of wind
and rain for cooling and
humidity, and make the
most of the cooler sun.
 Windows and outdoor spaces
are shaded from the sun
 Shelter In Hot Dry Climates
Design Principles in Hot Dry
Climates

i) Site and Orientation

 Situated to a wind facing
direction and they are all
oriented to the East/north.
 They are sometimes terraced
 Sites in valleys near a water-
course are cooler than poorly
ventilated locations.
 Summer shade is provided to the
east and west and over the roof.
 Shelter In Hot Dry Climates
ii) Space between buildings
 Houses are isolated from streets
and enclosed by high walls for
shading
 Especially designed in courtyards
 Plants and water are used for
psychological / physical
evaporative cooling and providing
shady areas
 The presence of a fountain or pool
and plants increases humidity.
 Shelter In Hot Dry Climates
iii) Form of the buildings
 Usually courtyard house plans
and compact forms are chosen
to reduce surface area of solar
incidence
 Enclosed courtyards offer shade
and encourage air movement,
 Flat roofs and semi-open areas
are used
 Traditionally timber windows and
door entrances are small in size
and few in number.
 Shelter In Hot Dry Climates
iv) Thermo physical properties
 To profit from the time lag of the
building envelope, materials with
greater thermal mass are chosen.
 Thick walls and roofs constructed
with materials of high thermal
capacity absorb the heat entering
through the outer surface of the
wall during the day
 Sunlit surfaces should be a light
color, to reflect & reduce heat
absorption
 Shelter In Hot Dry Climates
 Minimization of the number
and size of windows
 Construction of a window at a
high level to obstruct the floor
radiation and dust
 Constructing a part of the
building into ground which is
to be always cooler than the
outer ambient temperature in
summer
 Shelter In Warm Humid Climates
Nature of the climate

 Main characteristics of this climate are hot,

sticky conditions and continual presence of
dampness
 Air temperature remains averagely high,
between 21 – 32°C, with little variation
between day and night
 Humidity is high in all seasons with thick
cloud and water vapor
 Shelter In Warm Humid Climates
SHELTER IN WARM/HOT
HUMID CLIMATES

 Buildings designed for

warm/hot humid climates
take advantage of shading
from the sun to reduce heat
gain and cooling breezes.
 In a warm-humid climate
shading and ventilation are
greatly important
 Shelter In Warm Humid Climates
Design Principles in Warm
Humid Climate

i) Site and Orientation

 East and west exposures are
minimized to reduce solar heat
gain, although some sun in cooler
season may be desirable.
 Orientation of buildings shall be
kept perpendicular or with a range
of 60-120˚ to the wind direction
for cross-ventilation
 Shelter In Warm Humid Climates
ii) Form of the buildings
 Traditionally, earth-walled courtyard
houses are typical with broad
overhanging eaves to shade exterior
walls.
 Elongated or spread-out planning is
better than a compact one for
increasing wind facing surface
 Openings/windows are often wide
and always remain open to take
advantage of natural ventilation.
 Fixed windows are not climatically
preferable in the warm-humid
climates
 Shelter In Warm Humid Climates
 Sometimes the floor is raised
above the ground, with a crawl
space under the building for good
air circulation.
 Roofs are sloped having two
qualities: removing the solar heat
gain by ventilation and by thermal
insulation of the roof.
 Roof colors must be bright or white
to decrease the solar heat gain
 Vegetation are also used to reduce
excessive solar radiation
 Interior height of buildings is raised
 Shelter In Cold Climates
SHELTER IN COLD CLIMATE
 Buildings designed for cold climates emphasize heat
retention, protection from rain and snow, and winter
wind protection
 They often include passive solar heating, with the
building encouraging heat retention without
mechanical assistance.
 Minimizing surface area of the building reduces
exposure to low temperatures, it is oriented to absorb
heat from the winter sun.
 North slopes get less winter sun and more winter
wind, and hilltops lose heat to winter winds.
 Shelter In Cold Climates
Design Principles in Cold
Climate
i) Building’s Plan & Orientation
 Set a building to south to reduce
the amount of heat loss and
provide wind protection,
 In cold climates, dark colors on
the south-facing surfaces increase
the absorption of solar heat.
 A dark roof with a steep slope will
collect heat, but this is negated
when the roof is covered with
snow.
 Shelter In Cold Climates
ii) Interior spaces
 Most of daily activities are done inside the rooms.
 They have verandas of limited width, only used for
snow and rain protection
 Spaces have a compact plan and texture.
 Ceiling of rooms in these regions are considered
lower than the similar rooms in the other regions
 Shelter In Cold Climates
iii) Building Envelop
 Thick walls to prevent heat loss
from the inner area of building
 Small openings in low numbers
are used to prevent the heat
exchange
 If windows are large, apply a
shade. But openings used in the
south side are larger and longer
 Double glazed windows are also
used to minimize thermal
exchange. [email protected]
 Shelter In Temperate Climates
SHELTER IN TEMPERATE CLIMATE
 South-facing walls are maximized in a building
designed for a temperate region.
 Summer shade is provided for exposures on the
east and west and over the roof.
 Deciduous shade trees that lose their leaves in
the winter help to protect the building from sun in
hot weather and allow the winter sun through.
 The building’s design encourages air movement in
hot weather while protecting against cold winter
winds
 Shelter In Tropical Upland Climates
Nature of Climate
 Like Composite (monsoon) climates, no
consistent hotness and dryness, nor
warmness and humidity
 Significant difference in temperature,
humidity, wind, sky and ground conditions
 It changes season to season, alternating
between long hot, dry periods to shorter
periods of high rainfall and humidity
 But still dominated by strong solar radiation,
often with moderate to cool air temperature
 Shelter In Tropical Upland Climates
Building Form and
Planning
 Shall reduce heat gain
during the day and heat loss
during night
 Protect windows and
openings from solar radiation
 Advised to face the building
north on the northern
Magnitude of solar heat
hemisphere and south on the gains on all orientations
southern half for less solar (Nairobi)
radiation
 Shelter In Tropical Upland Climates
External Spaces
 Well shaded external spaces
for out-door activities by the
building itself, by pergolas,
awnings or by vegetation
 But during cooler period of
the year, sunshine is essential
 Hence provide adjustable
form of shading device or
alternative external spaces
for use in the different
seasons
 Shelter In Tropical Upland Climates
Elements and Materials
 Nights are cool and solar
radiation can cause heating
during the day
 Use materials of high thermal
capacity with a time-lag of 8
hours
 North and south walls can be of a
lightweight construction
 A lightweight wall is also
possible, specially in multistorey
buildings, if well insulated and
windows shaded
 Shelter In Tropical Upland Climates
Openings
 No serious need for
physiological cooling by air
movement, and no need for
cross-ventilation, if solar
radiation is controlled
 No need to capture winds and
cooling breezes in deciding
orientation of buildings
 Size of openings will be
decided more by
considerations other than
thermal
 Shelter and Climate – Summary
Summary of Shelter and Climates

Ideal building form adaptation

 Building Materials Preference
 Choice of building materials for a construction of a
house or other facility is influenced by:
 Owners’ personal taste
 Climate suitability
 Cost effectiveness/ financial status
 Aesthetics
 Modernity/attitude to modernity
 Building Materials Preference
For Hot Dry
 Traditional circular houses in hot-dry climatic regions
are usually built of mud walls and thatch-roofs
 These walls are smoothened by a indigenous varnish
to make it water resistant and reflect a large part of
the solar radiation
 Thatched roofs provide insulation against heat and
cold,
 Nowadays, in many areas these thatched roofs are
being replaced by metallic roofing sheets.
 Stone is better used in this climate than the warm-
humid regions
 Building Materials Preference
For Hot Dry
Common walling materials:
 Mud/Mud blocks
 Stone
 Straw and skin

Common roofing materials:

 Thatch/palm leaf
 Mud Bricks
 Wood
 Building Materials Preference
For Warm Humid
Common walling materials:
 Wood and bamboo
 Concrete/Cement Blocks, Sand-cement blocks
 Burnt Brick/Mud bricks
 Stone

Common roofing materials:

 Bamboo
 Asbestos/Slate
 Cement/Concrete
 Metal Sheets
 Roofing Tiles
 Building Materials Preference
For Cold Climates
 Materials should have a good thermal capacity and
resistance to keep the building warmth in its inner
area.
Common walling materials
 Stone and bricks
 Wood, cob
 Mortar, concrete
 Adobe blocks

Common roofing materials

 Timber and cob
 Cement Tiles
 Metal sheets or plastered sheets
 Shelter Project - I
Group of 3 students

Prepare a detailed study, analysis and documentation

titled Ethiopian Vernacular Architecture and
Climate
 Select one type of climate (from typologies given),
Identify at least two representative locations to that
climate from Ethiopia and Sketch the traditional homes
of residents in that area (in plan, elevations, section
and 3D)
 Indicate and justify the building materials and
construction method used
 Analyze its spatial, formal and elemental design with
thermal adaptation to the climate