The effect of iwan planning on thermal performance of spaces in traditional Diyarbakir houses

Today, it is known that construction activities constitute approximately 30% of the total energy consumption. Since the recently built houses are designed without considering the physical environmental conditions of the region, the amount of energy consumed increases, resulting in climatic and environmental problems. Iwan planning for hot arid climatic regions emerges as an effective design strategy against climatic conditions. In this study, the effect of iwan planning, which is one of the most powerful means of passively providing the cooling needs of the houses in the hot period, on the thermal performance of the spaces adjacent to the iwan was investigated. For this purpose, traditional Diyarbakır houses with courtyards; three mansions with single-arched, two-arched and three-arched iwans were identified. Among the mansions determined for the study, Cemil Paşa Mansion has a single-arched iwan, Zerzevan Mansion has a two-arched iwan, and Iskender Paşa Mansion has a three-arched iwan. While determining the mansions that are the subject of the study, the basic parameters affecting the thermal performance such as the orientation of the iwans, the building envelope, the floor and the location adjacent to the iwan were kept constant. In the study, the size of the iwan, which increases in direct proportion to the number of arches forming the iwan, was determined as the main variable. During the warm period (June-July-August), temperature and humidity measurements were taken at half-hour intervals in each mansion, and the effect of iwan size on thermal performance was evaluated. As a result, it has been seen that iwan planning in the hot period increases the thermal performance by reducing the indoor temperature of the spaces adjacent to the iwan compared to the outdoor temperature. In addition, as a result of the increase in the size of the iwan depending on the number of arches forming the iwan, it was observed that the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor environment increased in favor of the space adjacent to the iwan. When the findings obtained in the study are evaluated, the inclusion of iwan planning, which is one of the passive design strategies, in the design processes of new buildings in hot dry climate regions can reduce the amount of energy consumed for cooling by contributing to the creation of thermal comfort conditions in the hot period. Keywords: Thermal Comfort, Traditional Buildings, Courtyard Buildings, Energy Efficent Building