The Effect of the Cross Pattern on Cooling Load in Traditional Houses of Yazd

Nowadays the architecture of Iran is disordered and disorganized. The attempt to eliminate and prevent the existing crisis and disorder in this era is one of the most important concerns for the contemporary architects. One of the main reasons to this problem is the lack of right and suitable patterns in today’s architecture. A pattern for spatial syntax of architecture is the result of successive years of experience by architects with the hope of improving and optimizing primary plans. One can assume that this is the result of changes in form and body of architecture which could transform it into a stable pattern and geometry through time and trial. The study of the ancient architecture in Iran indicates that one of the important and permanent patterns is the Cross vault or Crucifix pattern which has changed considerably through time and has developed into a time-honored pattern. The pattern is a square or a rectangle building with internal divisions that result in a cross-like plan in the middle and has several intersecting arches or vaults. In the eighth century the cross pattern was developed. The best examples of houses with cross patterns are found in the central cities of Iran. The pattern is one of the dominant configurations in Iranian architecture, especially in desert areas in Yazd which have changed dramatically through history. These patterns are the results of the historical mind. As one of the permanent patterns in Iranian architecture it carries different practical, functional, climate and environmental considerations. The study of cross pattern in the traditional houses in Yazd shows that this pattern is one of the important patterns in traditional houses of Yazd, especially in the summer's living quarters. Therefore, an enquiry into the qualities of this pattern which has made it permanent in the history of architecture seems relevant. This article discusses the climate qualities of this pattern by choosing statistical samples from these houses and checking the thermal behavior in these spaces in the summer's living quarters to determine the effects of this special pattern on the cooling load in these spaces. By analyzing these spaces the research reveals the fact that the cross patterns performs better than the rectangle pattern in several aspects including indoor climate adjustment and functional requirements of the summer quarters.