From Heritage to Sustainability: The Future of the Past in the Hot Arid Climate of the UAE

Abstract

Achieving future energy objectives and promoting social, economic, and environmental sustainability can be inspired by heritage and historic structures, which make up a sizeable component of the existing building industry. Heritage architecture and urban sites are known for their capability of positive interaction with the climate to provide better thermal conditions, beside their capability of strengthening cultural identity and improving the economic sector for the related sites. Thus, the main purpose of this research is to highlight the positive sustainable effects (social, economic and environmental) for a proposal of conserving and reconstructing a vernacular heritage architecture site in the hot arid climate in the UAE. The research used a qualitative methodology based on multicriteria descriptive schemes beside ENVI-met software. The research’s findings presented the capability of the conserved heritage area to strengthen the social and cultural identity and improve the economic sector. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the conserved heritage district had a better microclimate and predicted mean vote for outdoor thermal comfort compared to the basic case heritage district prior to rehabilitation and another modern district. The conclusion promotes heritage conservation in hot arid climates and encourages the preservation of vernacular architecture and traditional sites to achieve the sustainable goals for creating sustainable cities that can mitigate climate change.

The effect of building height on thermal properties and comfort of a housing project in the hot arid climate of the UAE

“…ENVImet software is designed for use in many applications, including building design, urban planning, and climate change adaptation, for forecasting, analyzing, and visualizing the microclimate of cities, buildings, and green areas (ENVI-met 2023). With more than 3,000 independent studies, ENVI-met has been verified by a large number of researchers and practitioners, including in the urban climate and the urban microclimates (Salameh and Touqan, 2022;Salameh and Touqan, 2023;Wang et al, 2023;Alyakoob et al, 2023;Ghaffarianhoseini et al, 2015;Lee et al, 2016;Taleghani et al, 2014;Air Temperature, 2022;Forouzandeh, 2018).…”

Preserving Tradition through Evolution: Critical Review of 3D Printing for Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Identity

“…This phase recognizes the transformative potential of 3D printing technology when seamlessly integrated with various facets of architectural development, such as design elements, material selection, construction methods, and community engagement. Table 2 provides a comprehensive overview of the four key criteria identified for effectively incorporating 3D printing technology into the preservation and promotion of cultural identity [41].…”

Rethinking the Heritage through a Modern and Contemporary Reinterpretation of Traditional Najd Architecture, Cultural Continuity in Riyadh

“…Unfortunately, while some new policies, guidelines, and research are underway to address the challenge of conserving cultural heritage, little attention has been paid to its cultural and economic significance to date. Additionally, this stems from the fact that people have mainly focused on environmental issues rather than cultural ones, following the substantial concerns about climate change influencing the built heritage [4]. Contemporary 2 of 23 architecture has therefore accelerated the traditional loss of identity.…”