Impact of Orientation on the Thermal Performances in Vernacular Buildings in Hot Arid Climate

Abstract

Morocco faces enormous climatic constraints. A large part of the national territory has a hot and dry climate, hence the importance of the climate aspect in the choice of an energy saving strategy. The use of reinterpreted, decontextualized, totally or partially vernacular architectural techniques and/or forms is visible at different levels in the Maghreb countries. The large-scale integration of this aspect seems to be ignored by the designers. The objective of this research is to evaluate the impact of the building orientation and vernacular architecture towards the occupant comfort, in order to meet its energy and comfort needs at a lower cost on one hand, and on the other hand, to design more efficient collective buildings from a thermal and energy point of view. The proposed methodology allows examining the thermal performances of a traditional building under the climatic conditions of the city of Rissani in order to naturally control comfort summer and winter, in addition to ensure a good thermal comfort without using any heating or cooling system. Finally, the simulations carried out lead to the identification of the optimal orientation that demonstrates an effective reduction in indoor temperatures and a decrease in the large daily fluctuations in these temperatures. The research focuses on the influence of the orientation of a building's facades in relation to the solar radiation and on providing the necessary thermal comfort.