The balanced synthesis of form and space in the vernacular house of sana'a: Bioclimatic and functional analysis

This study investigates the critical balance between form and space used as the main approach to mitigate the effect of the climate and provide the functional requirements of culture such as space activity, privacy, and view. Sana'a architecture is used as a case study; it is considered as a rich resource for exploring climatic design solutions due to its history-long experiences. The approach depends on a number of methods for analysis of common architectural practices such as passive solar thermal performance analysis, solar access and shading analysis using 3D computer modeling and observation and literature survey of cultural aspects. The analysis is based on the form-space relationship in the vernacular tower house of Sana'a. The paper presents a summary of the study's outcomes as rules of thumb in formats that can be used for application in design.