An Evaluation of the Ecological Architecture Influenced by the Interaction Between Structural Environment and Nature in Cold Areas; Case Study: Two Traditional Houses in Ardabil

In the architecture of traditional houses, the environment used to be formed by the mutual interaction of human beings and nature. With the emergence of environmental crises in the contemporary world, the integration of natural and human processes became the most important ecological issue in the domain of sustainability. The aim of the current study is to recognize those ecological criteria of traditional houses which can be productive in the contemporary world so as to arrive at ecological solutions based on the thermal behavior of these houses in cold regions.

These factors are investigated in two traditional houses in Ardabil using descriptive methods, field observations, and quantitative analyses.

The investigation of the most critical climatic condition of the region is indicative of the thermal resistance of the rooms against temperature fluctuations. Furthermore, the analysis of the architectural features taken from physical environment (topography, climate) and structural environment (building form, spatial organization, material, landscape, infrastructure) shows that there is an optimal interaction between these components. The recognition of these architectural features can also provide ecological solutions.

The results of the assessment of the ecological criteria in the houses are also indicative of their conformity with the environment.In fact,these structures have overcome climatic effects via the use of natural resources in a way that rooms like shahneshin and basement which have seasonal function, have optimal performance against temperature fluctuations. For example, in a sample shahneshin room in smaller dimensions, the minimum difference between the inside and outside temperature is 13 °C