Windcatcher architecture

Fig. 11. University of Qatar, Doha [17] - "Design with Nature: Windcatcher as a Paradigm of Natural Ventilation Device in Buildings"

The traditional architecture of Central Asia and the Middle East is the product of land, the local climate, and people's culture. The human needs and the environment represented the most essential factors to be considered in their designs. The traditional and vernacular architecture of this region introduced many realistic solutions and devices to the local environmental problems such as the Wind-catcher, which became a common architectural feature in buildings. The wind- catcher is based on…

Image 11 of 18 from gallery of What is a Traditional Windcatcher?. Windcatcher Project. Image © Specht Harpman of Specht Architects

This diagram shows how a wind catcher creates positive pressure on the windward side and negative pressure on the leeward side and how in doing so cool fresh air is pulled in and circulates the hot stale air out, it does a good job showing this by being very simple to read and shows just the basics of how the process works

Aghazadeh Mansion and its windcatcher was built during the Qajar Dynasty and is located in Abarkooh,Yazd Province, Iran.The windcatcher in this mansion is regarded as one of the finest examples of windcatchers in the world.There are 19 air-adjusting vents in the windcatcher, which are internally connected to the second windcatcher. This windcatcher can do the air-adjustment even if there is no wind blowing. Unlike most windcatcgers, this one is a two-story structure.

Ancient people had a lot of modern luxuries. No Internet, though, so we still win.

A 'windcatcher' is a centuries-old Persian technology featuring a tower that takes advantage of natural ventilation by capturing and cooling air. Hank Louis, founder of DesignBuildBLUFF, the University of Utah/University of Colorado, Denver design-build studio, recognized the merits of this simple solution for a recently completed Navajo family home. The house features a tower made of compressed earth bricks with four openings around the top. As the wind blows through the slits, wet blankets…

Image 15 of 18 from gallery of What is a Traditional Windcatcher?. University of Qatar . Image Courtesy of Qatar University

Bernard Rudofsky > Windcatchers See the complete project at hicarquitectura.com