19. Vernacular Architecture from Hot Regions (Basrah, Iraq)

Specific house volume in hot climate reflects the necessity to achieve a thermal comfort. All buildings and volumes in Basrah are created to produce a shadow, which helps to move the air by natural movement to the deep superior side that can be achieved through special holes. Buildings are compact with interior courtyard; the streets are sinuous and pass through houses volumes. The shady interior courtyard has the effect that the rooms do not communicate directly with the overheated air outside, but through intermediate buffer spaces. In the mean time between courtyard and street, at least a wall or a building is always interposed. The old builders from this region had put a big effort to create bioclimatic habitats that corresponds to the negative effects of regions climate. The buildings have covered with a brick. Their windows are often protected from the appalling hot region heat by long, broad shutters held open by adjustable iron struts, a special feature of specific architecture. Wooden doors are studded with iron, and are decorated with knockers of brass.