Old Town of Ghadamès

Bioclimatic housing design to desert architecture: A case study of Ghadames, Libya

A study of Ghadames, Libya, reveals that while modern housing developments fail to meet local residents' satisfaction with indoor environmental conditions and energy consumption, traditional architecture excels in providing thermal comfort even at high indoor temperatures (up to 32°C). Despite subjective reports of satisfaction from occupants of old buildings, objective measurements using the predicted mean vote (PMV) indicated discomfort. The research highlights a disconnect between modern housing design and the sociocultural needs of the local community, emphasizing the importance of bioclimatic principles in desert architecture. Field surveys, including thermal environment assessments and interviews, were conducted to gather both subjective and objective data, alongside the creation of a 3D digital model to analyze building dynamics.