As temperatures rise across the globe, hot summers like those of 2023 and 2024 will become more frequent, and severe storms in some areas may lead to more power outages. In order to prepare for an even warmer future, today’s designers can learn from the past.
The Sumerians: Chilling together
About six thousand years ago, the Sumerians lived in a hot and dry climate that is now located in the south of present-day Iraq. Even then, they had techniques to manage the heat.
Archaeologists studying the remains of Mesopotamian cities describe how Sumerian buildings had thick walls and small windows that could minimize exposure to heat and keep temperatures low inside.
The Sumerians built the walls and roofs of their buildings with materials such as clay or mud that could absorb heat during the day and release it at night. They also built buildings right next to each other, which reduced the number of walls exposed to intense sunlight. Small courtyards provided light and ventilation, and narrow streets helped to provide shade during the day and allowed passers-by to move around the city easily.
Ancient Egyptians: Harnessing the wind
Ancient Egyptians also used materials that could prevent heat. Palaces were made of stone and had courtyards, and clay was used in the construction of residential buildings.
Many people took to nomadic behavior in their buildings to escape the heat: since the roof terraces were cooler, they used them as places to sleep at night.
To cool their buildings, the Egyptians developed a unique technology called “Malqaf”, which consists of tall walls with vents facing the prevailing winds. Vents act as ducts to capture wind and direct it downwards to help cool the building. The incoming wind creates a draft that helps the heat escape through the other vents.
The principle of refrigeration can be used on a larger scale to cool larger spaces. This system, which is known as Badgir in Iran, is used today in buildings in the Middle East and Central Asia and provides a comfortable environment without the need for air conditioning even in very hot periods of the year.
The Pueblo People: Working with the Sun
Civilizations on other continents and times adopted similar strategies for living in hot and dry climates and devised their own unique solutions.
The Pueblo people, who were Native Americans living in what is now the southwestern United States, used small windows, materials such as adobe and stone, and designed buildings with common walls to minimize heat gain.
