Ancient Arabic architecture - the answer to coping with hot climates?
© 2013 EPFL
When speaking of mashrabiya, one immediately thinks of traditional Arabic architecture. But by using climate-responsive materials, they can be upgraded to combine traditional aesthetics with modern performance. An article by Prof. Marilyne Andersen published recently in the UAE's pages of The National describes a modern version of the mashrabiya underlining the subtle way to improve the interplay between a building and its environment.
The idea, studied by master's students of the Energy Management and Sustainability course under the supervision of Dr. Boris Karamata and Prof. Andersen of the LIPID (Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Performance-Integrated Design) at EPFL, is to find a way of using technology to develop an improved mashrabiya that could regulate a building's interaction with its surroundings to reduce the power needed for lighting and air-conditioning while preserving its distinctly oriental character.
By using shape-memory alloys – metals that can switch between two or more configurations based on temperature – façades could be designed to automatically adapt to the sun's position without any motorized or active controls. Combined with modern glazing, occupants should experience the variability of the daily solar cycle thus making them more comfortable and healthier.