Chapter4- Climate as a modifying factor-- S.Zohaa

Climate is a factor that man cannot dominate(yet), but either he has to use it to his advantage or have to adapt itself to the extreme conditions. 

Now the basic method of survival is to adapt ourselves to the changing climate. The primitive man and/or peasant builders did not have the technological advancements we have today, still they have shown amazing skill studying the climate factors and using minimum resources to achieve maximum comfort. The most developed cities which use artificial solutions like Dubai and the US lack in sustainable designing and damages the climate even more. Whereas, the preindustrial builders cannot ignore the climate factor as they cannot afford that kind of technological advancements. These primitive builders have learned to solve their problems by collaborating with nature and keeping in mind the vast range of climatic conditions with very limited materials and technology, since they design for themselves and they know the consequences if they don't.

The need for a certain kind of shelter varies with the severity of the climatic conditions. The use of the scale is useful in determining the need. It ranges from no need of shelter at all to maximum need of shelter. So, the more severe climatic constraints the more limited and fixed forms. So a large part of the form of a building depends on pure climatic functionalism. The local residents of an area always have a detailed knowledge of the forms materials and microclimate of the area. They study the conditions not just keeping in mind the climatic conditions but also the cosmological and cultural attachments for the best orientation. All the vernacular solutions created all over the world depends on these basic studies of the local builders.

Another solution acquired by some communities is the changing of dwellings at different times of the year on climatic grounds. They leave their shelters deserted for a certain kind of climate to go to a more suitable one for their survival. These include examples of Paiute Indians, herders of Siberia and Central Asia, Kazakhs of Central Asia etc.

There are several methods of approaching the study of influence of climate on house forms. We can list down the various climate types and derive its solutions in terms of forms and materials. Or we can study the climatic scale and position our houses along it. Or we can study the various climatic variables that combine up to make different climate types.

Climate is the result of air temperature, humidity, radiation and air movement. If a building responds to these variables positively then climatic survival is possible. The different climatic conditions of these variables are as follows:

Temperature-- Heat-dry and humid ; Cold

Humidity-- Low; High

Wind-- Desirable or Undesirable; and hence whether it should be encouraged or discouraged

Rain-- Scarcity or Abundance: mostly to keep out rain while retaining ventilation

Radiation and Light-- -- Desirable or Undesirable; and hence whether it should be encouraged or discouraged

While these could be arranged along the climatic scale according to severity, they will be examined for responses they generate in terms of form, materials and devices.

Shahzadi Zohaa Irshad

B0998079