A Qualitative Assessment of Biomimetic and Vernacular Approaches to Design for Extremely Hot Environments of the GCC Countries
Abstract
The impacts of global climate change on the designed and built environment have accelerated in the twenty-first century, leading contemporary architects to reconsider conventional building practices. For many centuries, humans in different parts of the world have viewed themselves as separate from nature and the natural environment as separate from the built environment. This attitude has driven design and construction practices contributing to environmental degradation and global climate change. As a result, architects recognize the importance of devising new approaches to design and construction to mitigate the adverse effects of the built environment on the natural environment. Such changes require a shift from an anthropocentric view to an eco-centric view. This dissertation investigates whether existing and new projects in the Middle East, especially GCC countries, are following the recommended strategies for hot climate and whether architects and designers can harness the principles of biophilia, biomimicry, and indigenous building practices to design buildings that protect occupants from increasingly extreme temperatures while mitigating the contributions of the designed and built environment to environmental degradation and global climate change.
Citation
Abdulmajeed, Shatha M (2023). A Qualitative Assessment of Biomimetic and Vernacular Approaches to Design for Extremely Hot Environments of the GCC Countries. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /198873.