Author : M.M.Tolba

This research seeks to examine how to use renewable natural resources to preserve the environment for future human generations. The use of such renewable natural resources is always the best option. In addition, searching for innovative architectural solutions for our energy-consuming buildings for ventilation, air conditioning and heating, poses a challenge for designers, who need to take up responsibility in finding different solutions. Older generations used available technologies to design buildings that imitate the benefits provided by natural resources, while present generations continue to drain energy. Older generations worked on finding treatments for different environmental architectural buildings. Amongst the best examples are: the wind towers (wind catchers), domes and cupolas, courtyards, water fountains, oriels, takhtbosh, ewan, salsabeel, shokhshikha, sistrum, kamarhya, omarhya, etc., which are widely used in the Middle East, especially in Cairo, Egypt. This research aims to describe the elements used in Islamic energy-saving architecture with the help of natural resources. This paper will also explain how to use these simple and smart energy-saving solutions to design buildings to save our energy-depleted resources.

Keywords: renewable, natural resources, energy-saving, environmental design, wind towers (wind catchers), courtyards, domes, modern design

Article published in International Journal of Current  Engineering  and Technology, Vol.4,No.1 (Feb- 2014)