Sustainability in the traditional building in hot arid climate, the traditional architecture elements function, efficient design

1. SITESC o n s t r u c t i o n
6
the importance of its orien-
tation towards the sea. The
house positioning was also
concluded in consideration
of the strong winds from the
north and the daily sun path.
The buildings’ character was
created by the locals, where
the primary function was re-
sponding to the specific prob-
lems posed by the climate,
people need, security aspect
and the social and religious
requirements.
The traditional building form
has a simple layout with re-
petitive rectangular shapes,
consists usually of family
rooms, majlis and facilities,
linked by the Hoshthat pro-
vides privacy for the family
and protection from dust and
heavy winds from north
Al-Hosh or Sahn is the heart
of the house and the place of
most of the daily family activi-
Architecture
scale of residential elements
which comprised the major-
ity of the structures. The only
other different buildings with-
in towns were those associ-
ated with the market (Souq)
and the mosques which were
constructed similar to houses
but in different forms and
functions that constituted
the primary elements to pres-
ent the architectural and the
civil identity and reflect the
lifestyle of communities in
different ages. In that, urban
planning reflects the cultural
identity of any community
and is the outcome of various
cumulative factors that influ-
ence the type and the form of
any city.
Most of the Qatari population
inhabit the eastern coast,
where the main architectural
feature of traditional coastal
housing was influenced by
Sustainability in the traditional building in Qatar
ties. Al Hosh is an enclosed
courtyard surrounded totally
or partially by the Riwaq and
the rooms and connected by
exposed stair lead to the up-
per floor and the roof. The
design and scale for the Hosh
differ by the regions and
building type and sizes.
The Hosh typically connected
with the majlis and the main
entrance from the Sikka
through small passage or
buffer zone called Al Majaz
Majlis or Diwan is a common
place used as a guest room
allocated for strangers (men)
in traditional Arabic houses.
Majlis is the larger and the
most important room, usually
rectangular in shape, over-
looking the street directly
and was the only room in the
house that was not opened
to the internal courtyard to
keep the family away from the
guests’ sight.
The public spaces
The environmental proces-
sors have in principle com-
prehensive arrangements;
the open spaces were usually
part of the buildings treat-
ments in terms environment,
connectivity and socially.
The public circulation net-
work called Sikka (street) it
was the main traditional pe-
destrian circulation. Sikka
or the old streets in Arabic
cities were narrow and tor-
tuous and partially covered
with Mashrabiah or other
methods of light roofing that
provide low temperature. A
replication of the Sikkas can
be viewed in Katara, where
the narrow streets and close
buildings provide shading
and nice breathe that makes
a comfortable walking expe-
rience even when tempera-
tures start climbing.
The main arterial direction
was the east-western that in-
creases the shaded area on
the street, allowing pedes-
trians to move through the
appropriate areas with some
degree of protection from the
sun and providing a soft air
stream from the sea.
Baraha is an important public
and common area in the Arab
gulf countries; it is undevel-
oped place accessible and
usually lactated at the cross-
ing Sikka. In that it resembles
the piazza in Italian towns
somehow.
Baraha is a dedicated central
open space; one essential
characteristic of Baraha is
the social networks and abil-
ity of inhabitants, particularly
the men, to meet and the
neighborhood’s children play
also for religious holiday cel-
ebrations like Salat El Eid (Is-
lamic prayer).
In addition, Baraha was used
in a commercial way like the
Friday Souq, a weekly open
air market for second-hand
items.
A modern adaptation of the
Baraha can be seen in some
Barwa real estate projects,
like Barwa Village, where
buildings surround the com-
mon space and overlook it,
creating a feeling of a com-
munity among tenants.
The openings
The openings in the facades
are the critical elements
in the building in terms of
the location, function, size
and other architectural fac-
tors to customize between
the required daylight and air
ventilation in same time to
consider the hot climate and
prevent the hot air and the
Mohamad Diab,
M. Arch., LEED GA, GSAS
CGP
Senior Architect Manag-
er, Energy City Qatar
The main features of build-
ings in Qatar in the past were
the measures taken to pro-
tect their inhabitants or to
decrease the undesirable ef-
fects of climate like the sum-
mer heat or heavy winds and
dust.
Architects in the olden day-
sworked in tune with their
environment. Their designs
were inspired by social, en-
vironmental and geographi-
cal factors that impacted the
local design and established
a genuine urban character.
In that, buildings were highly
suitable to their surrounding
environment and more com-
fortable to their inhabitants.
Isn’t that the essence of sus-
tainability?
As architect Mohamed Diab
explores the rich elements
of traditional Qatari architec-
ture, a question arises: Are
these elements still efficient
in today’s Qatar and can ab-
alance be achieved between
modernity and tradition?
Architect Diab argues that tra-
ditional Qatari buildings truly
reflect a local urban char-
acter, and these traditional
elements should be taken
into consideration while de-
signing modern buildings
in Qatar. The Architect also
highlights the importance of
social, environmental and
economic factors that im-
pacted the local design and
established a genuine urban
character in Qatar.
Preface
Historically, the terms “ar-
chitecture” and “urbanism”
were used in the context of
art .Following the local archi-
tectural style principles, the
building-concept has been
formed and evolved through
a process of understanding
the social requirementssuch
as the beliefs, customs and
social behavior, the environ-
mental aspects and the ur-
ban planning integration with
nature.
A traditional building is the
correct expression of local
architecture that provides
comfortable living conditions
in different climatic zones. In
dry hot regions, in particular,
this form of traditional build-
ings was found as a result
of natural sources and ma-
terials that help in reducing
moisture and provide natural
ventilation.
The early towns were charac-
terized by the materials and
sand storms.
The doors made in general
from wood but the main
doors were made from heavy
teak necessary for security.
The timber was very valuable
and costly due to shortage of
trees that provide the hard
wooden panels; this issue
require using the doors care-
fully to keep it in good shape
and condition to be used in
new building to extend the
lifecycle.
The most windows were in a
big size opened direct to the
internal courtyard (Hosh) or
through Riwaq where the air
temperature is lower than
outside, the other reason is to
provide privacy for the family
especially for the women for
social and religious reason
Few windows may open to out-
side in certain criteria which
are required to be small and
in a high level to prevent the
stranger to see inside. An-
other type is the long window
that faced the Sikka usually
located in the upper floor
was covered by screen called
Mashrabiah made by small
wooden pieces or strips fixes
together to form a geometric
motif design , Mashrabiah
used as multifunction ele-
ment which played the role
as sun breaker covering the
windows to reduce the glare
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The sketches illustrating the elements of traditional buildings are done by
Arch. Diab exclusively for CS.
Architect Mohamad Diab ob-
tained Master degree in archi-
tecture. He hasmore than 20
years of extensive experience
in Projects Management and
development, urban planning,
Architectural and landscaping
projects design.
He is QSAS Certified Green
Professional (CGP) and LEED
Green Associate accredited,
and has broad background
and deep experience in green
building design and concept
He has participated in several
conferences and workshops
and has articles and studies in
sustainability field.
Mohamad Diab
is a Senior Architect Manager

2. SITESC o n s t r u c t i o n
7
ing color to reflect the sun-
light, with devices designed
to take the cooling advantage
of the breeze and the roof
was flat and constructed of
layers of filled earth on mat,
held on timber joists capable
of insulation
The openings were eliminat-
ed as much as possible from
the external walls and con-
fined to a simple plain finish-
ing for safety, a matter which
was required as well for con-
servative communities.
The traditional buildings
were constructed from nat-
urally-sourced materials lo-
cally existing, hence deemed
available and inexpensive.
The commonly used materi-
als were desert stones, lime-
stone mortar, cultivatable
soil or sand and palm date
fronds.
Building cooling system
Architecture
A traditional building
is the
correct expression
of local
architecture that
provides
comfortable living
conditions
in different climatic
zones
Most of the architectural el-
ements in the building were
more than just decorative
elements but created as a
functional response that help
in cooling the interior spac-
es in passive way such as
the inner courtyard, Riwaq,
Mashrabiah and many other
factors like the building ori-
entation, thick walls and roof.
The first figure received to
our mind and the most dis-
tinctive traditional architec-
tural element in regard with
active cooling system in the
traditional building is the
wind towers or wind catcher
(Al-Malqaf).
Al Malqaf is the natural air
ventilation and effective
cooling system in the house,
it was a tower on top of the
building with openings orient-
ed to the prevailing wind di-
rection to capture the air that
passed over the building and
push it into the building. The
air circulation created by the
external air pressure move-
ment helps to pull the hot air
from inside.
There were different types
Malqaf, where the design
and functions are based on
weather conditions. The most
common types are one-way
and multi-direction tower.
Riwaq or arcade is a covered
gallery usually in front of the
house enclosed by series of
odd arches that asserts the
main entrance. The advan-
tage was in the recesses in
the façade, providing shelter
for the occupants, preventing
direct sunlight to penetrate
inside the building and keep-
ing external walls shaded
during the day to reduce the
indoor thermal impact.
You can see a resemblance to
the concept of Riwaq in Souq
Waqif, where the shaded ar-
cades provide a comfortable
walking experience for the
market visitors.
Hosh also is synergy the
building cooling system.The
difference in pressure and
temperature between the
exposed internal court yard
and the narrow shaded Sik-
ka leads to an air flow from
the alleys through the main
entrance (Al-Majaz), raising
warm air in the courtyard
and forming a cool air stream
penetrating into the rooms.
General criteria
As a conclusion of the above,
the building design should
take into consideration the
following criteria:
• Study carefully the cli-
mate factors like the
path of the sun and the
prevailingwind direction,
and make attentionfor
the building orientation,
location and the site
regulations in the early
design stage
• Conserve the urban cul-
ture and social identity
by using the concept of
traditional building ele-
ments as much as pos-
sible;
• Customize between the
client requirements and
the impact architectural,
economic and sustain-
ability impact regarding
the prosed design and
always provide your tech-
nical advice and compre-
hensive information to
the client
• Design a clustered com-
pound and provide a
courtyards between the
building instead of linear
developments
• Combine and balance
between the modernity
produced from the direct sun-
light and the amount of the
heat gain inside the building,
and protection from the dust
and sand, The other way was
for security and privacy by re-
ducing the visibility that mak-
ing the rooms darker than the
street
An exception of long windows
could be opened direct to the
Sikka are the majlis windows
since the users are men and
guests
Can Mashrabiah be used to-
day? What about their use
in high-rise buildings? Doha
Tower, designed by renowned
French architect Jean Nou-
vel connects the very modern
with the Islamic Mashrabiya
designs. The skyscraper has
an internal reinforced con-
crete dia-grid columns, which
form a cross (X) shape that
connects with the eye-catch-
ing cylindrical facade. Islamic
screens were designed to
shade the building from high
temperatures as well as the
unpleasant sand residue
found on glass throughout
the region. The building is
designed to hold offices for
businesses wishing to oper-
ate in the diverse business
district of West Bay (Doha).
The Building Envelope
The main feature of the build-
ing has been the measures
taken to protect the inhabit-
ants or to decrease the un-
desirable climate effects like
the summer heat or heavy
winds and dust. This has led
to give priority for the building
envelop, the external walls
were thick with a light finish-
and the tradition, use
the technology and new
materials where required
to add value to the build-
ing with consideration
for the economical mat-
ters
• Increase open space
where the local zoning
regulation allow for that
and improve the green
and vegetated area
• Consider existing re-
gional developments,
orientation, circulation,
construction and finish-
ing materials and archi-
tectural character and
elements;
• Take into consideration
the homogeneity and
responding with the sur-
rounded buildings (not
to unify but to provide
harmony), the perspec-
tive view and the human
scale, the people need
and the social manners
and customs.
The sketches illustrating the elements of traditional buildings are done by
Arch. Diab exclusively for CS.