Effects of Climate Responsive Strategies and Adaptive Behavior of Occupants on Thermal Comfort in Indoor Environments of Vernacular Architecture: A Review of Necessities and Goals

Abstract

This study addresses the goals, reasons, and necessities of analyzing the effects of climate responsive strategies and adaptive behavior on thermal comfort in the indoor environments of vernacular architecture. For this purpose, 86 studies were reviewed, including 71 studies about climate responsive strategies and 15 others about adaptive behavior in vernacular architecture and dwellings that were carried out between 2000 and 2018. The research methodology included a statistical survey and analysis of necessities and goals of the studies reviewed in this paper. To this end, the designated studies were analyzed and reviewed from different aspects, such as the history and process of formation, keywords, goals, reasons, and necessities of research. 
 According to the findings, the most important research goals of climate responsive strategies include (1) analyzing the thermal performance of buildings, and (2) identifying the effects of these strategies on the thermal quality of indoor environments. Moreover, the most prominent research goals of adaptive behaviors in vernacular architecture and residences include (1) evaluating thermal comfort, (2) identifying and analyzing adaptive methods and behaviors, and (3) identifying the existing obstacles. The research necessities of these two areas can also be divided into three sections, i.e. identification of advantages, practical reasons, and addressing research gaps. Another research finding was identification of the concepts pertaining to these two areas.

Energy consumption and thermal comfort of rock-cut and modern buildings

“…This amount of difference in energy consumption between traditional and modern buildings in northern Iran and the amount of near-zero summer consumption of rock-cut buildings for cooling shows the low level of energy consumption in vernacular buildings of Iran. Further [ 23 ], studied the summer thermal comfort of traditional buildings in eastern Iran, situated in a warm and arid climate, across six different villages by using questionnaires. They found that the passive natural ventilation system employed in these buildings can contribute to comfort during 51 % of hot days throughout the year.…”

“…In Iran, most of the studies have focused on assessing the thermal comfort of residents in traditional buildings across various climates by employing questionnaires and comparing them with the experiences of users in different structures. The findings suggest that occupants of traditional buildings experience higher levels of comfort during warm seasons compared to the residents of modern buildings in the same conditions [ [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] ]. Furthermore, some have focused on modeling influential factors on thermal comfort, such as natural ventilation and structure orientation, based on ASHRAE standards in traditional buildings across different climates.…”