Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Mohsen Bina ¹
• Kousar Rahmatian ²

¹ Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Jundi-shapur Uni. of Technology, Dezful, Iran.

² Architecture and Urban Planning, Jundi Shapour Uni. of Technology,, Dezful, Iran.

Abstract

The selection of architecture suitable for each climate is a case always considered by individuals, especially architects. Earth-sheltered architecture is also a design approach that has existed since the ancient era in different civilizations to cope with bad weather conditions, such as hot climates, storms, etc. like Dezful city where the residential spaces called Shavadoon were used in hot months of the year to overcome the extreme climate conditions. Now, many nonrenewable energies are wasted in the residential sector, causing environmental pollution. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to introduce the earth-sheltered architecture idea and examine its effects on the residents' comfort and energy consumption over all seasons in the considered climate. In this study with the empirical method, the written references are reviewed through DesignBuilder Software based on simulation technique, and thermal and illumination performance is compared in two buildings: one designed with an earth-sheltered technique and another as the control design on the ground surface. This study examines some cases, such as ventilation and light that are less used naturally in earth-sheltered architecture that requires high energy consumption to improve conditions. Moreover, this study measures the rate of cooling and heating energy consumption and air temperature inside the building considering how much it is close to the optimum temperature conditions. Some solutions have been proposed to correct and improve these conditions: north-facing and south-facing building orientation, placing south-facing doors and windows, and use of natural daylight, garden pit, skylight, double-glazed window, awning, and heat and humidity insulation. These solutions have changed the earth-sheltered building compared with baseline mode leading to less energy consumption rather than the building designed on the surface. This case also results in better ventilation, and air conditioning and less illuminance energy rather than the base mode of earth-sheltered building. It is finally concluded that there is 28.3%, 15.16%, 6.56%, 42.85%, and 46.16% more optimum conditions in ventilation, illuminance or lighting energy consumption, indoor air temperature, cooling energy consumption, and heating energy consumption, respectively in the earth-sheltered building compared to the land surface case

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• Earth-sheltered architecture
• Shavadoon
• Dezful
• Building energy consumption
• comfort

Main Subjects

• Architecture and Urban Design