Transformative transitional housing in post-war Syria: integrating vernacular spatial principles using sustainable and affordable materials and low-carbon earthen construction
JOURNAL OF HOUSING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10901-026-10334-1
- Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF HOUSING AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, ABI/INFORM, Environment Index, Geobase, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Political Science Database (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Prolonged displacement in conflict zones has led to temporary shelter needs being replaced by transitional housing needs. Despite advancements in low-cost building materials and passive design approaches, there remains a lack of studies that consider the application of stabilized earth construction materials with quantified thermal performance evaluation using controlled geometric conditions in post-conflict reconstruction. This study investigates the impact of geometric aggregation on the passive thermal performance of stabilized earthen construction materials, particularly Alker, in hot and dry Mediterranean climatic conditions. Three housing configurations were evaluated using dynamic thermal simulation software, DesignBuilder, using the Azaz region in Northern Syria as a case study. Three configurations were considered, with the same floor area, envelope characteristics, and operational assumptions, but with varying degrees of vertical aggregation. Thermal comfort was evaluated using Predicted Mean Vote (PMV), Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD), and operative temperature under passive operation scenarios. The results suggest that geometric configuration plays a larger role in the thermal performance of buildings than the choice of materials. Results indicate that the single-storey courtyard-based configuration showed 60% less dissatisfaction in summer thermal comfort compared to the vertically aggregated configurations. Geometric aggregation led to an increase in overheating duration in summer and heat loss in winter despite the same wall thickness and material characteristics. Therefore, the thermal mass effectiveness of materials depends on geometric configurations. Geometric aggregation without improvements in envelope characteristics may compromise passive thermal performance. Instead of developing a new material system, the paper attempts to provide an evaluation approach that combines stabilized earthen materials with geometric optimization approaches in transitional housing design. The paper provides simulation-based evidence to the discourse on humanitarian shelter design and reconstruction, highlighting the need to consider geometric characteristics along with materials in climate-responsive reconstruction approaches.