Design Characteristics and Adaptive Role of the Traditional Courtyard Houses in the Moderate Climate of Iran

The building sector consumes a high percentage of total energy worldwide and in turn, a primary contributor to the global environmental degradation. Today with the limited energy resources, vernacular architecture presents an essential source of architectural knowledge in respond to climate and culture without reliance on energy-guzzling active systems. This paper presents a case study of thirty-four courtyard houses in the moderate climate of Babul in terms of its adaptive potential to suit the users’ comfort requirements. Most houses are a 2-sided type with the north-south orientation. It reveals adaptation behavior of the occupants who frequently use the spaces throughout the year.