The role of landscape design in improving the microclimate in traditional courtyard buildings in hot arid climates

Arab Islamic landscape design forms a unique source of inspiration for landscape architecture in barren open spaces of the Middle East. Arab Islamic gardens adopted a system marked by perfect responsiveness to environment. The design of urban landscape and gardens in Arab Islamic culture was similarly guided by the dictation of aridity. The need to provide shade, to prevent dust and to conserve water meant that urban open spaces and gardens were sheltered and enclosed. Alhambra in Moorish Spain and the Al-Suhaymi House in Islamic Cairo are two useful historical references for vernacular Islamic landscape designs. This paper presents an overview of landscape design considerations for the composition of vegetation and water and initial observations of their influence in controlling and improving the microclimate in courtyards buildings as a way of passive cooling in the Middle East region. This paper is a part of a Master’s thesis in the field of passive landscape strategies at Wageningen University. The objective is to identify the comfort improvements potential of successfully-planned and integrated landscape design in traditional courtyard buildings. The layout and plant material of Alhambra, Generalife courts and Al-Suhaymi court in Islamic Cairo are examined and evaluated. This study demonstrates that in arid environments, the landscape planning, the composition of vegetation and water and choice of planting material all have important consequences in creating thermally-pleasant environments.