Frontiers of Architectural Research (2018) 7, 11–24

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Frontiers of Architectural Research

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effects of vernacular architecture structure

on urban sustainability case study: Qeshm
Island, Iran
Hamed Mohammadi Mazraeha, Mahdieh Pazhouhanfarb,n

a
Department of Architecture, Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran
b
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Golestan University, Gorgan, Golestan, Iran

Received 30 January 2017; received in revised form 31 May 2017; accepted 30 June 2017

KEYWORDS Abstract
Urban fabric; The architecture of Qeshm Island includes the specific architectural style of a warm and wet
Building form; area, which previously had a functional use aimed to reach a sustainable architecture and
Hot and humid cli- development. However, few studies on the identification of the characteristics of vernacular
mate; architecture and their roles in island stability have been performed. Thus, to understand the
Traditional architec-
vernacular architecture of the island as a sustainable pattern, we discussed it separately in
ture;
three aspects, namely, urban fabric, one-based architecture, and architectural details. To
Wind catcher
address our study, a part of the old fabric of the city with its existing buildings (42 buildings of
70 years of age) was selected and evaluated in a qualitative study. Results showed that in the
scale of the urban fabric, factors, such as the structures of the buildings, the frame of the
neighborhood spaces, and in terms of the architectural details, factors, such as bars, thickness
of the walls, and the openings, are among the vernacular features of the area, playing an
important role in the stability of Qeshm Island. In general, studies showed that vernacular
architecture of the island has focused on developing an orientation between the climate of the
region and a good understanding of the construction.
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1. Introduction
n The most important issue in today's world in which man has
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: m.pazhouhanfar@gmail.com, a critical role is the reduction of energy consumption
m.pazhouhanfar@gu.ac.ir (M. Pazhouhanfar). (Maleki, 2011). Clearly, approximately 40% of the global
Peer review under responsibility of Southeast University. energy is consumed in the construction sector (Sisson et al.,

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2017.06.006
2095-2635/& 2017 Higher Education Press Limited Company. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi. This is an open access
article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
12
2009). The role of buildings in energy consumption due to
population growth, increasing urbanization, and improved
living standards is specifically highlighted, wherein the use
of energy resources has significantly increased mainly
because of climate changes; thus, the present world is in
need of being positioned in the path of sustainable urban
development (Allegrini et al., 2016). The sustainability
concept of a building has focused on issues, such as limited
resources, especially of energy, and possible ways to reduce
its effect on the natural environment. In this regard,
development of sustainable buildings can be regarded as a
useful tool for protecting natural resources using energy
efficiency parameters to minimize energy consumption
(Bahadori, 1978).
The Iranian vernacular architects argue in applying a
traditional model that can be useful to inform people of the
best ways to deal with local weather conditions, wherein
the role of vernacular architecture in reducing energy
consumption will increase the sustainability of the cities
(Maleki, 2011; Shahin and Takapoomanesh, 2014). Previous
studies showed that vernacular architecture is an important
parameter for achieving sustainability in modern architec-
ture. It is an umbrella term used to classify construction
method that uses locally available resources to address the
needs of area residents (Preusser et al., 2003). Analyzing
such architecture can provide a proper method of achieving
sustainability for the new generation of designers (Sharifi
and Murayama, 2013). In the past, Qeshm Island is one of
the major islands in the hot and humid regions of Iran,
which has important architectural elements and played a
functional role in its urban development and sustainable
architecture. Based on the fact that, by far, few studies
have been performed on this issue, the present study was
performed to prove the role of sustainability in the verna-
cular architecture of the region addressing the concern of
whether the vernacular architecture of Qeshm Island can
respond to the issue of sustainability appropriately”.
Figure 1 Geographical location map of Qeshm Island.
H.M. Mazraeh, M. Pazhouhanfar
2. Study area
2.1. Introduction to ecosystems of Qeshm Island
Qeshm Island, as the largest island in the Strait of Hormuz
and the Persian Gulf, is one of the most densely populated
islands of Iran. Qeshm Island has an area of 1491 km2, i.e.,
approximately 5.2 times larger than the second largest
island in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain. By analyzing the
meteorological data of Qeshm station in early April to early
October, most days experience weather conditions within
ranges above the thermal comfort standard. Even on some
days, the o80% relative humidity and o301 temperatures
were recorded (Figure 1). Moreover, temperature variation
during different months was observed, and their results
were analyzed based on Baker index as follows (Table 1).
Table 1 shows that in April, November, and December, mild
pleasant weather is easily available, whereas in January,
February, and March, mild pleasant conditions exist. Meanwhile,
in the remaining months, unpleasant weather is prevailing.
2.2. Living conditions on Qeshm Island
By studying the structure and the way the tropics develop,
the abovementioned climate displays a significant effect on
its shape and composition. Therefore, paying attention to
climatic profile is of great significance while recognizing and
offering appropriate plans in coordination with climate.
Given its sea adjacency, very high air humidity occurs in
Qeshm Island. However, due to lack of rainfall, it has no
dense vegetation, except for limited fields and palm groves
in the suburbs. Most parts of the region are barren without
any water and grass. However, in some areas, a few bushes
(Sisyphus and Prosopis) can be observed. In terms of regional
summer and winter divisions of the country, the island is
located in very hot humid and hot humid regions. High
humidity and sultry air of the island are bearable for the
non-natives for a few months of the year. Figure 2 shows the
Effects of vernacular architecture structure
Table 1 Values (Cp) for different months in Qeshm Island.
Jan Feb Mar
Cool Cool Cool
20.84 21.77 20.15
Jul Aug Sep
Hot, Warm, Humid Hot, Warm, Humid Hot
and and Tolerated
Unpleasant Unpleasant
2.57 2.75 5.38
Figure 2 Average solar radiation.
radiation conditions in Qeshm Island at different months of
the year. In addition, because the bioclimatic design is based
on the physical condition of the buildings, the knowledge and
ability to exploit sunlight, heat, and air flow through the
building shell at the exact time needed on specific days and
months of the year can provide significant data for building
structures in Qeshm Island (Szokolay, 2014).
3. Method
Sustainable architecture in Qeshm Island consisted of a
unique style in a bioclimatic region and is built based on the
special conditions in urban planning and architecture.
However, no serious study has been conducted to identify
sustainable architecture in the hot and humid climate of the
region (Anna-Maria, 2009; Daengbuppha et al., 2006).
To address these issues, 42 buildings dating back over 70
years ago were selected to analyze the ways of preparing
the materials, the process of constructing the buildings with
these materials, the urban and local spatial relationships,
the morphology of the intersections, the alternative urban
routes, the natural ventilation through the passages, rout-
ing, the used elements in the building exterior, and the
central yard built in the style of vernacular architecture of
Qeshm Island. The present study aims to address the effects
of bioclimatic factors on the formation of architecture and
urbanism (i.e., weather conditions, joint and periodic
programs of buildings, materials used, and their effects on
the performance of the building along with the rate of
taking advantage from the passive solar energy and the
structural performance of the building) of Qeshm Island to
obtain background knowledge of the status quo of the
vernacular structure in three scales including urban fabric,
single-based architecture, and architectural details.
4. Architectural and urban properties of old
tissue of Qeshm Island
Few studies have been performed on the local architecture
and urbanism. Significantly, the effect of climate on the
physical formation and spatial presentation of the living
13
Apr May Jun
Mild Pleasant Hot Tolerated Hot Tolerated
15.53 9.51 5
Oct Nov Dec
Hot Tolerated Mild Pleasant Mild Pleasant
8.86 13.52 16.94
center and of the city need to be considered. The factor
that has played a fundamental and crucial role in the
emergence of powerful cities since ancient times
is the climate. Climate is known as a vital element in
recognizing an architectural structure and is necessary in
building structures in Qeshm Island. The structure can be
classified according to the warm and moist climates as
follows.
 The urban tissue is semidense and semicompact, and the
rural tissues are semiopen with semienclosed spaces.
 Semidense tissue not only creates shade on the levels and
on the fronts but also provides air flow inside the tissue,
if necessary.
 Expansion of towns and villages along the coast and
toward the sea provides the opportunity to take advan-
tage of sea breezes.
4.1. Urban scale
4.1.1. Structure of neighborhood spaces
4.1.1.1. Spatial urban and local relationships. In forming
the neighborhoods, the city was divided into several equal
parts while considering several central points for local
community, i.e., spaces, such as mosques, schools, and
business centers. In the past, this neighborhood-formation
style was very popular in Iran that can be stated that first,
the center of the neighborhood or city was designed. Then,
with regard to the buildings with the central neighborhood,
the city or the neighborhood was expanded (Figure 3).
Essentially, four types of communication can be seen in
the old tissue of Qeshm Island, namely, limited-connected
homes, connection between the houses and the community
centers, connection between cities, and connection
between urban spaces and exterior space of the city.
Notably, all of these types have been influential in the
development of the functional city. Meanwhile, achieving an
increased level of climatic comfort is dependent on the
traditional model, which can be justified by Venturi Law.
The net of strengthening airflow was equally calculated
by the mechanical system. Thus, the use of wind energy
14 H.M. Mazraeh, M. Pazhouhanfar

Figure 3 Spatial urban and local relationships.

would be economically effective. In the local context of the
island, the squares were placed together as dense and close
as possible, allowing a distance of 20–75 m from each other.
The large number of these squares in the differently sized
neighborhoods along with their proximity has created a
good urban structure and several passages for the architec-
ture in harmony with the climate (Figure 4).
4.1.1.2. Routing. Qeshm Island has a very dense texture.
In addition, most buildings were designed as the central
courtyard and various other forms along with several long
streets and squares. Compared with the other regions in
Iran, the traditional alleys and streets in Qeshm Island were
very narrow, providing difficulty for two people passing by.
Therefore, they were named as “the streets of
reconciliation”. The width to height ratio in these alleys is
often 1:5–1:10 (Figure 5).
The neighborhoods consist of alleys with narrow openings
and high walls, which are often in shade during the days. In
the historic fabric of the island, no blind street existed, and
the blocks were surrounded by the streets to provide the
maximum levels of fresh air. The communication network
was affected by temperature and humidity of the environ-
ment, wind direction, terrain, local materials, property and
local custom, and economic and social features (Figure 6).
The passages were built in accordance with the verna-
cular architecture of the island because of the sun angle.
Therefore, the pedestrians, exposed to harsh sunlight, did
not feel it in the local streets as far as possible. In other

Figure 4 (a) Positioning of squares through urban passages and their distance; (b) Morphology of city squares.

Figure 5 (a) Comparison between the width of the streets and the penetration rate; (b) Route framework.
Effects of vernacular architecture structure
Figure 6 Passages and urban squares in Qeshm Island.
Figure 7 Ratio of width/height in charts of tailored and optimized passages.
words, vernacular architects considered the ratio of the low
width to the height and created pathways with high thermal
comfort for the pedestrians (Figure 7).
In Qeshm Island, a city with narrow, broken, and meander
alleys to form urban passages with high thermal comfort
was attempted to be built (Figure 8). Fractures caused by
the alleys have caused less exposure to the sun's rays to the
alley surfaces. Thus, the observed difference in air tem-
perature across a network of pathways would cause changes
in air pressure and internal air flows of the alleys.
4.2. Buildings
4.2.1. Orientation of buildings
Given that most houses in the island were low lying and
encapsulated, ventilation through the roof seemed suitable.
Meanwhile, proper orientation of the building can be useful
in moving air flow for natural ventilation of the region,
especially in hot and humid climate. Although the purpose
of constructing such houses was to obtain the minimum
solar energy during hot seasons of the year, the most
appropriate orientation for the building was the north–south
direction with 151 east of the south. Given the minimum and
maximum amounts of the solar energy received during the
hot and cold months of the year, respectively, 621 east to
131 west was also suitable in this regard (Figure 9).
4.2.2. Building form
Most buildings in the island are semiintroverted with rooms
designed around a central courtyard. The main difference
between these buildings with a central courtyard and similar
15
buildings in the central plateau of Iran is that even though
these buildings are introverted, their relationship with the
outer space is not completely closed. In addition, tall and
high windows and wide porches facing the streets or squares
were placed in the second and, especially, in the third floors
of the buildings to use bilateral air inside the rooms and
reduce heat intensity. Thus, the required ventilation was
provided by opening the windows facing the courtyard and
the windows facing the street because in the afternoons or
evenings, the sun intensity is less. The family members used
to sit on the external porch facing the sea and enjoy the wind
flow blowing between the sea and the beach. In this area, the
porch was greater compared with that in mainland Iran and
was considered as a key space in the building. During hot
seasons, lasting for approximately six months, daily activities
were often performed within the porch because it is well
ventilated and in shade. Thus, large and high porches were
built both around the central courtyard and on one or two
sides of the exterior (Preusser et al., 2003). These porches
were designed for air circulation, connected the interior and
exterior spaces to provide good performance for air condi-
tioning in different seasons in the local buildings of the island.
In general, the vernacular architects considered the main
factor, which is the form, to set up the buildings. Therefore,
the form of the buildings was considered in the wind-flow
direction (north to south) to benefit from wind breeze. As
shown in Figure 10, the form of the building also exhibited a
great effect on the determination of the position during
winter and summer stay.
To identify the surface area to volume ratio, four housing
styles with a central courtyard in the island were used to
16
Figure 8 (a) Street fractures to provide shade. (b) Open spaces through routes and squares.
Figure 9 Function of building construction in terms of absorp-
tion of solar energy.
analyze six cases for each style. In addition, as shown in
Table 2, the ratio between the buildings ranged between
0.5 and 1.00. Thus, designing the building form prior to its
run was important for the architects.
Recent studies show a significant relationship between
sustainable city and the concepts of urban density or
compactness; thus with the low levels of the building
exposed to the sun, comfortable climate and energy con-
servation are the primary factors to be considered during
building construction (Maleki, 2011). Given that a great
amount of the occupied urban spaces was designed to create
an air passage, building elongation can cause a dense tissue.
As seen in Figure 11, elongation occurred in the north–south
direction, and a combination of some buildings was consid-
ered for good building performance in three forms as follows:
(1) to make a block stretching in the north–south direction so
all spaces can enjoy the pleasant bilateral light and air
circulation; (2) to reduce heat transfer through the outer
walls of the building using narrow alleys, consisting of a
passage with several shades and wind (due to low width of
the alley adjacent to the outer wall of the building); (3) and
to differentiate among the ways of the building fronts
created either as single buildings or integrative ones.
H.M. Mazraeh, M. Pazhouhanfar
4.2.3. Applying passive systems by using architectural
elements
4.2.3.1. Natural ventilation and physical solutions through
creating natural ventilation. Passive design is one of the
most effective strategies to reduce energy consumption in
buildings. Using natural ventilation, it can be regarded as a
practical way to reduce energy consumption in air condi-
tioning systems (Bouyer et al., 2011). Air ventilation means
providing fresh air and cooling through air displacement. In
this design, the driving force underlying this process can be
heat or movement (Khan et al., 2008). Six important
variables, exhibiting a direct effect on human response to
thermal conditions, are air, temperature, humidity, radia-
tion temperature, and air flow. Among these factors, the
most important heat detection indicators are the amount of
activity and coverage, temporal data, and humidity
(Allegrini et al., 2016). Meanwhile, air flow can exchange
heat between the body and the environment (Wang et al.,
2010). Indigenous buildings are a product of architectural
thinking, i.e., a response to the needs of the preindustrial
societies and the insurmountable limits emerged by a
climate zone. In fact, due to the unique interaction
between the human mind and experience through observa-
tion, natural phenomena are accumulated (Engin et al.,
2007; Oikonomou and Bougiatioti, 2011).
4.2.3.2. Elements of natural ventilation mounted on the
roof. Certain elements used for natural ventilation are
wind catcher and mesh, which are described below. Wind
catchers are the tower-like elements designed on the roof
of a building to transfer fresh air from the exterior to the
interior (Bahadori, 1978). This functional element is com-
posed of a main cooling system with the function of
reducing the thermal load (Bouchahm et al., 2011;
Elmualim, 2006). Thus, a wind catcher is an element
Effects of vernacular architecture structure 17

Figure 10 Table of seasonal positioning of spaces with natural ventilation performance in buildings.

Table 2 Surface area to volume (A/V) ratio in vernacular buildings of Qeshm Island.

Central court- A/V a (m) b (m) c (m) h (m) I type A/V a (m) b (m) c (m) h (m)
yard plan 0.8 15 15 3.60 6 plan 0.5 26 26 10 6
0.5 27 27 8 6 0.6 27 27 8 6
0.7 19 19 4.30 6 0.7 19 19 4.30 6
0.8 16 16 5 6 0.8 16 16 4.80 6
0.9 14 14 3.20 6 0.9 14 14 4.20 6
0.5 18 18 7 6 1 10 10 3.20 6

U type plan 0.6 22 22 8.00 6 L type 0.5 26 26 10 6

0.7 17 17 7 6 plan 0.6 24 24 6.80 6
0.7 16 16 8 6 0.7 18 18 5.30 6
0.8 15 15 4 6 0.8 15 15 4 6
0.8 16 16 5 6 0.9 14 14 4 6
0.9 14 14 4 6 1 10 10 3.30 6

mounted on the ceiling used for natural ventilation within
the building's internal spaces. It works through attracting
wind and circulating it in the interior spaces and finally
sends out hot wind through the openings of the wind catcher
from the other side (Figure 12).
4.2.3.3. Natural ventilation elements used in building
shell. According to surveys conducted for hundreds of years,
we can conclude that to create an atmosphere of thermal
comfort, the best way is to use accessible materials and
climate-responsive construction technologies (Bodach et al.,
2014). In addition, natural ventilation can be regarded as a
proper cooling strategy with significant advantages to provide
natural cooling in the building. Moreover, the grids built as
the holes in the middle of the exterior walls showed
functional and decorative uses and were used for natural
ventilation because of their special geometry. In other words,
wind flow is heavily dependent on the geometry and the
proportions of the passages. However, the rooms with multi-
ple windows (as a natural ventilation element) were placed
several meters above the ground in long and drawn openings
of the alleys to attract high-speed winds and lead them into
the interior space of the buildings. These rooms were mostly
built in the middle openings of the buildings and in the spaces
of the streets and along the beach (Figure 13).
18
Figure 11 (a) Studied space of blocks; (b) Elongation of blocks in north–south direction.
Figure 12 Wind flow in wind catcher through breathing air. Grid influence for natural ventilation of the interior space after venting
hot air.
4.2.3.4. Combination of two elements including louver
and lattice in the building interior and wind circulation. As
illustrated in Figures 14 and 15, the desirable wind flows
into the inner space through these two elements (louver and
lattice). In addition, undesirable air is pushed out in the
opposite side. Given that warm air tends to rise and cool air
tends to come down because of great density, the wind
flows into the interior through the shabak embedded in the
walls and the louver in the ceiling and flows out from the
opposite side of the louver. The wind circulation is very
similar to human respiration. This method was how our
ancestors can find a suitable model with the knowledge
about adapting building design to climate and appropriate
use of elements in available spaces.
4.2.4. Green surfaces
Palm trees were regarded as the main shade supplier
because of the high density of urban fabric and to avoid
any negative effect on air flow in the streets. Thus, palm
trees are known as “the green space of Qeshm Island”.
Notably, its main application was in the central courtyards
H.M. Mazraeh, M. Pazhouhanfar
of the buildings. In addition, because of its effect on
decoration and providing shade and its minimal water
requirement and its fruit, palm tree is regarded as the
most important plant of the island (Figure 16).
4.2.5. Courtyard
Central courtyard in a building can be considered as a
passive but useful system, which can easily help in air
circulation of the building. Studies and experience have
proven that our ancestors’ vernacular architecture has been
a convenient source for studying and understanding the
designs of the basic buildings along with a reuse of
architectural solutions consistent with climate (Motealleh
et al., 2016). Moreover, the combination of open and
semiopen spaces in these native homes can also create
wind flow both in the context of life and in the central
courtyard.
The presence of the central courtyard in the main part of
a building conveys a passive system that can easily benefit
from air circulation (Shahin and Takapoomanesh, 2014). The
greatest area used for creating a central courtyard in the
Effects of vernacular architecture structure
Figure 13 Turret decoration, natural ventilation elements within, and elements of natural ventilation on external elements.
Figure 14 Wind performance in the summer and winter parts of Amir Bahador's house.
local buildings of Qeshm Island was shaped as a square or
rectangle. Thus, the streets (b and c) were narrower than
the central courtyard (a), mainly to enable the natural
ventilation system within the urban fabric and urban devel-
opment. In addition, the narrow streets can circulate wind
flows rapidly in the climate of the island, which has high
moisture content. The mild breeze can enter through the
lattice similar to a space high up the walls into the central
courtyard to ventilate its space naturally (Figure 17).
4.2.6. Communication structure of inner spaces of
building
Although the term “space” is often used in daily life, it is
quite complicated and difficult to be defined. In this study,
“space” is defined as “interior architecture”. Creating
space in the vernacular architecture of Qeshm Island
occurred based on recognizing a series of necessary micro-
spaces. As can be seen in Figure 18, ancient Iranians
believed that the bathroom and shower should be built
out of the house. However, later, this issue was ignored, and
these two spaces were moved to the inner house.
Kitchens are usually placed between the inside and the
outside of the house to provide easy access from both sides.
19
Thus, the landlady was able to cook food in the veranda for
its landlord and his guests or colleagues. Given that no
plumbing existed in the city and the underground water was
salty, the presence of water storages in the houses of the
affluent is a vital and necessary phenomenon. During rain-
fall, running water from the roof and the yard flows toward
the water storage built at the bottom of one of the ground
floor rooms to be used for cooking and drinking purposes
during the year.
4.2.7. Openings
Openings in the local architecture of the island differ
greatly from that of the modern architecture. In vernacular
architecture, the rooms were built with long openings to
attract the interior air of the narrow streets. After hitting
the meshed windows, air passes the interior space and
circulates in this space. Air leaves the rooms as warm air. On
the contrary, in modern architecture, regardless of light and
wind, the buildings are built with rooms in which performing
natural ventilation in the summer or repelling intervening
light is impossible because more buildings are built with
windows facing the sun (Figure 19).
20 H.M. Mazraeh, M. Pazhouhanfar

Figure 15 Performance of wind catcher and grids in the natural ventilation of the interior space of Amir Bahador's house.

Figure 16 (a) View of using palm trees in central courtyard of Qeshm Island; (b) irrigation chart of eight months of the year.

Figure 17 Transverse elongation of central courtyard for shading outer walls.

4.2.8. Building shading element can be found in different architectural styles of

Increased rate of west buildings to the east ones shows that
this height difference depends on the slope of the land.
Meanwhile, narrow alleys and passageways and elevation
differences of the buildings have merged to shade the island
and offered comfort and convenience among the residents
(Figure 20).
Qeshm Island, such as in the Valley of Stars that was built
naturally. In fact, the architectural bars of the island were
inspired by the valley to strengthen the structure. As a
result, such bars were built also in gothic architecture
(Figure 21).

4.3.2. Thickness of walls

4.3. Materials and structures The thickness of the walls was in such a way that they can
withstand long exposure to the sun. Moreover, the colors of
4.3.1. Bars the materials used were similar to the color of the area soil,
Such bars can also be seen in the gothic style architecture, i.e., to build a house. First, the ground was tested to
which is a part of the architectural elements. Thus, this ascertain whether it can be suitable for the building
Effects of vernacular architecture structure 21

Figure 18 Function and interior spatial relationships of buildings with communication between the interior and exterior spaces.

Figure 19 (a) Modern building construction on island; (b) Graph and photo of single-layer pattern and opposite opening in
traditional tissue of Qeshm Island; (c) Graph and photo of the introversion and extraversion in the field.

Figure 20 Photographs and diagrams of the roof and skyline in background and shadow of casting building over the other buildings.

construction. After recognizing the constructible ground
and soil excavation, the house was built with the same soil
as a combination of mortar and stone. Thick walls were also
made with this material to reflect a great amount of solar
energy. Bright soil color was the best color material choice
in this hot and humid area. As expressed in Table 3, the
main frame of the building was made of materials with very
high thermal mass. These walls displayed high thermal
capacity. The outer walls were thick and, up to the altitude
of approximately 50–70 cm, were built with special materi-
als, such as bricks and stones.
4.3.3. Using local materials
In the island, the most important parts of the houses were
extracted from sedimentary stones taken from the nearby
22 H.M. Mazraeh, M. Pazhouhanfar

Figure 21 Use of external post and shear walls to prevent landslides in areas prone to earthquakes and with a high-moisture
content.

Table 3 Thicknesses of exterior and interior walls of 48 buildings studied on the island.

Row Thickness of Thickness of Row Thickness of Thickness of Row Thickness of outer Thickness of inner
outer wall inner wall outer wall inner wall wall wall

1 0.56 0.17 17 0.68 0.18 33 0.69 0.12

2 0.68 0.12 18 0.71 0.12 34 0.52 0.16
3 0.62 0.18 19 0.68 0.15 35 0.54 0.18
4 0.56 0.13 20 0.56 0.12 36 0.56 0.16
5 0.72 0.15 21 0.71 0.17 37 0.54 0.17
6 0.57 0.13 22 0.52 0.12 38 0.56 0.17
7 0.69 0.11 23 0.71 0.11 39 0.52 0.16
8 0.54 0.12 24 0.56 0.17 40 0.58 0.15
9 0.53 0.11 25 0.52 0.11 41 0.68 0.12
10 0.52 0.16 26 0.56 0.13 42 0.67 0.17
11 0.57 0.15 27 0.58 0.18 Thicknesses of the external and internal walls
12 0.67 0.11 28 0.56 0.17 were 0.50–0.72 and 0.11–0.18 m, respectively.
13 0.68 0.18 29 0.69 0.18
14 0.71 0.15 30 0.56 0.16
15 0.52 0.11 31 0.71 0.16
16 0.71 0.17 32 0.70 0.17

Figure 22 Implementation of mangrove and predate wood for covering roof.

cliffs. These pieces were sliced in large sizes of the rocks to fit
brick dimension. Then, they were used in the load-bearing
walls as fillers and separators. Materials, which were drawn
on the walls as the final plate, were prepared by the plaster
taken from Bandar Khamīr, straw mortar from around the
island. In addition, in ceilings, mangrove and predate wood
and cob were used as the main construction materials. In
these beaches, using arches and domes was not common, and
most buildings had flat cob arches. First, the long wooden
beams, approximately 30 cm in their original form, were
lifted apart on two opposite walls. Then, they were covered
with the mat. Finally, the roof level was covered with a cob
layer (see Figures 22–24).
The floor and the outer walls were exposed to moisture
because of the island nature of the area and its proximity with
high humidity. Thus, the building has been set up with certain
considerations. In other words, after excavation, the floor was
leveled with a straw mortar. It was covered to a depth of
approximately 50 cm by the limestone riprap and concrete.
The surface of this foundation was paved with a straw mortar,
Effects of vernacular architecture structure
Figure 23 Clay compound method for making buildings.
Figure 24 Diagram analysis of formation of urban context due to weather conditions: (a) sunlight and (b) groundwater penetration.
and the walls were set up with stones and mortars at every
30 cm. The wall thickness varied from 50 cm to 70 cm. The
best functional element in such hot and humid area was the
wooden beams with low heat capacity, e.g., plywood.
This 10 cm-diameter timber, which was placed in every
20 cm on two walls (carrying wood had a large cross section
providing large intervals), was covered by the palm leaf mat
(Godats) or the wooden network. The mat was also covered
with desert sand and was rolled up. This sand was used for
aligning the slope. Moreover, during the rare rainy days,
absorbing moisture from the top layer prevented its dis-
placement. This soil was also covered with a 5-cm straw
mortar. Notably, replacing it was required every 10–15
years. The rich families used to plaster their houses with
gypsum mortar, whereas the poor ones simply used straw
mortar thatch. Interestingly, in terms of structure, the roof
of such buildings was the weakest part of the house because
no tight coupling existed between the beams and walls and
even the beams themselves. Thus, as an unstable structure,
it was highly vulnerable to earthquake. This kind of mortar
showed no resistance against the rain. Thus, the absorbed
moisture can easily provide discomfort for the residents and
gradually decay the building materials.
4.3.4. Permeability of underground water
More distances can be seen in the west in terms of height
than that in the east because the western height of the
island is higher than its east one. Thus, most buildings are
short in the East. In fact, a glimpse at this issue shows that
the buildings of Qeshm Island are built on different
23
altitudes. The slope extending from the west to the east
of the land was also constructed in this manner.
5. Conclusion
Although vernacular architecture has experienced tremendous
changes during the history, it has failed to maintain its special
identity. Thus, it is considered as a valid certificate of the style
of building structure in an area to illustrate itself in the
functional and structural principles and cope with the climate
and esthetics. Given that environment includes nature, cul-
ture, and man and their close relationship, in the vernacular
architecture of Qeshm Island, providing a connection between
the social and cultural factors is necessary to pay attention to
the relationship between man and his environment and human
scale, meeting the physical and emotional needs of the
residents. Native buildings of the island are of special sig-
nificance mainly because of the use of nonfossil fuels and clean
and renewable energy. Thus, it has been able to provide
suitable space for organic growth, designing in harmony with
the site and climate, saving and conserving energy in construc-
tion and maintenance, and using local materials (mud, wood,
palm leaves, soil, etc.). In fact, based on the energy required
for the maintenance and adjustment of environmental condi-
tions with proper design of full and empty spaces in both micro
and macro scales, proper orientation of buildings and the use
of a passive system in preserving sustainability are considered
and are proposed as suitable patterns for modern architecture.
To expand its orientation with the regional climate, the
vernacular architecture of Qeshm Island has focused on
24
recognizing the construction process, both in architecture and
in urbanism, wherein it can be used as a good model for
building construction in hot and humid climate of the island,
especially by new architects. Moreover, this vernacular archi-
tecture can be used as a perfect pattern of architecture and
urbanism in a certain region. Consequently, the aim of all these
subjects is to familiarize the architects with the region, prior to
designing its architecture or urbanism, to achieve and use
sustainable architecture and urbanism.
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