Climate-friendly Architectural Solutions Using Thermal Comfort Indicators in Qaleh Bala Biarjomand Village (Semnan Province)

The integration of architectural and urban spaces with local climate conditions is crucial for ensuring building sustainability and achieving key objectives in sustainable development. Climate designers and architects have long emphasized the study of environmental data to understand diverse climate behaviors. Climate-friendly architecture aims to harmonize building designs with their natural surroundings. This study focuses on Qaleh Bala Biarjamand village, located in Shahroud city, Semnan province. The central inquiry revolves around identifying climate-responsive architectural solutions using thermal comfort indicators specific to this village. Employing a descriptive-analytical method with a quantitative approach, the study draws insights from field studies spanning 18 years and reputable meteorological sources. The research identifies a framework based on principles outlined by Olgi, Evans, Mahoney, and Givoni, emphasizing the use of natural energy resources. Findings underscore strategies tailored to the village's cold and dry climate, such as adopting compact, densely textured designs, reducing surface-area-to-volume ratios, and employing heavy materials with high heat capacity in southern walls. Additionally, minimizing window sizes emerges as a viable strategy to enhance climate-friendly architecture in this context.