Regional Materials and Environmental Sustainability in Hot and Humid Climates: A Study on Boushehr’s Vernacular Houses

The consideration of environmental sustainability has permeated both conscious and subconscious realms throughout history. In the context of Boushehr city's historical architecture from the Qajar period, a myriad of sustainable residential structures attuned to the regional climate, ensuring occupants' thermal comfort, are evident. This sustainability, devoid of adherence to a specific theoretical framework, adeptly caters to the pragmatic needs of the building users. The primary objective of this study is to conceptualize the historical architectural composition of Boushehr, focusing on materials, and to conduct a thermal assessment of two structures, one historic and the other contemporary, within the city. To achieve this goal, a comparative analysis of traditional and modern building materials in Boushehr was executed through the utilization of Ecotect and Energy Plus simulation software, complemented by extensive survey and on-site investigations. The findings of this analysis reveal that traditional building materials, beyond their inherent harmony with the regional climate, exhibit superior physical properties compared to their modern counterparts. While advancements in technology have enhanced the chemical and mechanical attributes of contemporary building materials over time, amalgamating the advantageous physical attributes of traditional materials renders the latter more environmentally sustainable. Despite the fact that rooms constructed with older materials exhibit a higher average monthly temperature than those utilizing modern materials, the diminished heating and cooling loads of the former contribute to positioning older residential structures as closer approximations to a more sustainable archetype.