The Impact of Environmental Design Solution on Livability in the Traditional Houses of Sulaymaniyah City
Volume 12 , Issue 1 , December 2025 , Pages 163-181
Authors
Gulan Kamil Faraj Abdulla 1 ; Amjad Muhammed Ali Qaradaghi 2
1 university of Sulaimani, college of Engineering, architectural department
2 university of Sulaimani, college of Engineering, architectural department
10.17656/sjes.102007
Keywords
Abstract
This study aims to address the gap in prior researches, which often lack a comprehensive evaluation of traditional buildings in the city of Sulaymaniyah, by examining the environmental design techniques inherent in the traditional dwellings of Sulaymaniyah city and their influence on livability, highlighting passive systems that align with the local climate. Despite the architectural and cultural importance of these residences, previous studies have not provided thorough assessments that combine both qualitative and quantitative approaches. This work fills the gap by examining the Faqe Shally house as a case study, utilizing computational simulations to evaluate five critical environmental parameters: thermal comfort, daylight access, direct solar radiation, natural ventilation, and relative humidity. The study employs Autodesk Revit and CFD techniques to recreate the original architectural configuration and material layers to model environmental performance employing historical climatic conditions, aligning with a questionnaire survey for thirty houses in the traditional neighborhoods, concerning ecological adaptation. The study's findings indicate that design features, including courtyard orientation, high thermal mass materials, strategic window placement, and seasonal spatial utilization, work together as an integrated system to markedly improve livability in traditional houses. While the upper floor exhibits enhanced environmental comfort for residential purposes, depending on experimental results, the ground floor is more appropriate for storage and services. The findings highlight the significance of traditional environmental design strategies for modern sustainable housing and provide a framework for incorporating historic architecture into climate-responsive urban planning.