AAssessing the Bioclimatic Architecture of Well-reserved Vernacular Houses in Assilah, Morocco: Insights for Sustainable Modern Architecture

Abstract

The world is expected to construct the equivalent of New York City each month until 2030. Meanwhile, with the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, these buildings must be energy-efficient and minimize active energy use to maintain indoor thermal comfort. Vernacular houses, as well-preserved traditional homes, offer valuable insights into climate-adaptive and flexible architectural solutions for thermal comfort, passed down to us from our ancestors. Hence, in this study taking advantage of the well reserved vernacular houses in the northern city of Morocco, Assilah, we identified and evaluated the effectiveness of bioclimatic architectural features adopted in the region under the Mediterranean climate. The methodology includes a detailed field survey of identified bioclimatic houses, focusing on their architectural characteristics, bioclimatic features, and residents’ satisfaction with internal thermal comfort. The main results indicate that these houses, with features such as interior patios (with centrally (60%) or rear-located (40%)), skylights present in 70% of the homes, and strategic solar protection used 50% of the houses, achieve quite comfortable indoor thermal performance and occupant satisfaction, with better performance observed in hotter months than in colder ones. These findings aim to inspire energy-efficient building practices by identifying and assessing the suitability of climate-responsive design strategies. It is suggested to rediscover and draw inspiration from Moroccan bioclimatic and vernacular architecture to guide contemporary architectural practices.pproach.