Principles of sustainable architecture extant in heart of desert areas of Iran

Abstract Climate has an important effect on operation of the traditional building architecture and its energy consumption in desert area of Iran. Absence of water and unpleasant climate of these regions compelled people to build their houses with some strategies based on effective energy expenditure. Therefore, builders try to use natural climatic strategies for confronting hard situations. Narrow and droughty streets, much lofty air traps, upland walls, big water reservoirs, and vaulted roofed chambers are the distinguished features of desert towns in Iran. Techniques and principles used in this architecture obviously have many new notions in themselves in sustainable architecture arena. Techniques and principles of this architecture show that considering the experiment in traditional architecture of desert regions is conceivable to create an ecological and sustainable architecture. The sustainable architecture that advances to a point in order to be permitted to attain its aims deems necessary the design of any building with the least detrimental effect on environment as well as the design compatible with nature. This study uses qualitative content analyzemethod and tries to extract features that have been used in Iranian traditional architecture in two different categories: urban texture and architecture. Iranian’s Hot-Arid zones architecture includes numerous unique features which comprehend aesthetic exigencies and environmental capacity.