Sustainable and Economic Ventilation in Hot Arid Climates

Student

Eva Baghdan

College(s)

School of Architecture

Faculty Advisor

Alan DeFrees

Class Year

2019

Eva Baghdan during a trip to Beirut

With the Civil War in Syria reaching its 8th year, the destruction in Syria was severe. City damages ranged from mild damage to complete demolition as civilians were forced to venture to different countries to find refuge. The civilians that remained had to deal with shortages of all types, including electricity. For hours every day, homes experienced power outages, causing great discomfort for residents, especially in the summer when citizens rely on air conditioning units to keep them cool over the summer.

This project developed some housing designs for the destroyed city of Homs, Syria to promote natural and local sourcing so that residents could live comfortably without having to rely on electricity. The sustainable housing designs focused on natural ventilation methods to combat summer heat and lack of consistent electricity.