Cooler Design Strategies for Desert Architecture + Urbanism

Amid escalating climate pressures and rapid urbanisation, desert cities not only across the Middle East and North Africa face mounting thermal stress, with the IPCC (2022) confirming accelerated warming trends and intensifying heat events. Coupled with population growth and rising affluence, these shifts are driving a dramatic increase in cooling energy demand, already a major contributor to energy consumption in the region, posing significant challenges to decarbonisation and urban resilience. In response, this study develops a performance oriented matrix for passive cooling in hot arid environments by classifying 64 vernacular and contemporary strategies according to their dominant thermodynamic mechanisms: convection, conduction, or radiation.
Drawing on a two-phase systematic review of 119 studies, supported by empirical fieldwork (Desert Culture project), the research produces a matrix that maps strategy types, spatial logics, regional applications, and measured cooling outcomes. Vernacular case studies from Iran, Oman, Egypt, and elsewhere demonstrate the effectiveness of traditional systems, such as wind towers, thick thermal mass walls, shaded courtyards, and reflective surfaces, in reducing both indoor temperatures and operational energy loads. While the study primarily focuses on operational performance, the resulting taxonomy provides a practical design tool, highlighting the need to address both operational and embodied aspects in desert architecture. By integrating spatial configuration, thermodynamic behaviour, and lifecycle perspectives, the research positions passive cooling as a crucial pathway toward low-carbon, thermally comfortable desert cities.