Sustainable characteristics of the vernacular house and its impact to the building physics

Abstract

In the historical process, a human being, who has been in constant relationship with the environment that he lived in, has shaped and changed nature according to his own wishes since the day he was there. This form of development was firstly introduced in the form of protection and struggle and later became permanent and organic by discovering the need for accommodation. Nowadays, the demand for sustainable design, products, and services is growing, and the awareness of the importance of energy and fuel savings is increasing. Vernacular structures are constructed with the most suitable materials and components depending on the climatic characteristics they are in. Space organization and orientations are still depending on climate, and land conditions have been created in the right way. In this paper, vernacular Safranbolu houses were examined in terms of sustainability, while energy efficiency properties were investigated. The layout of the houses, the planning features, the materials used in the houses, and the resources in the region were examined. Considering the Safranbolu houses within the framework of sustainability, it can be said that these houses fulfill sustainability conditions in terms of planning and environment. Most of the houses have passive architectural planning features and applications that can serve as an example of sustainable architecture. The characteristics of these houses can be used in today's buildings.