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Herat has a long and rich history of architecture and culture that has been shaped by many different historical and imperial periods. Since 2002, the city’s urban landscape has changed significantly due to a rapid rise in the city’s population and modern building processes. This has had a significant impact on the historical image and identity of Herat, as modern architecture has introduced identities that are not in harmony with the city’s environment, climate, and culture. This study conducts a comprehensive analysis of architectural identity characteristics to explore the role of traditional and modern architectural elements in forming Herat’s architectural identity. This research is based on primary and secondary sources including literature reviews, historical documents, case studies, and interviews with local architects and residents. The results indicate that Herat’s architectural identity is shaped by a multitude of factors, including its historical and cultural importance, the utilization of construction materials, the surrounding environmental conditions, architectural guidelines and expertise, political dynamics, and the preferences of both the architect and client. This study provides vital insights for architects, policy makers, and government agencies seeking to promote sustainable and culturally sensitive development in Herat’s dynamic architectural landscapes.

Since ancient times, courtyards have played a vital role in architecture, particularly in domestic architecture. Over time, the existence of vernacular architecture has made beauty and harmony; these have always been important components of traditional Libyan architecture. Studying traditional vernacular architecture is key to maintaining vernacular architecture knowledge; this is because these principles, such as modular design, geometry, and proportions, are detectable characteristics of the tradition. Architecturally, proportion is an aspiration of the implementation of design grammar that encloses shapes of structure. A good impression upon the beholders builds in relation to different elements of space, such as a scale of geometric shapes, patterns, organisation, and the hierarchy of space relationships, to achieve aesthetic dimensions, in part and as a whole. In this article, the study searches for a modular, or proportion, that rules the geometric design of traditional houses in Libya. This is conducted through examining the geometry of typical traditional houses and the golden section method to find if a certain proportional relationship existed. From this perspective, the vision relied on studying the form suitability; in addition, it involved an analysis of the elevation as well as the interior courtyard proportion in relation to the building area. The outcome of this research is to find the aesthetic values that could generate a good design of domestic architecture; and to prove whether they are a perfect match with the proportion system and modular design used in traditional houses. The study employs the quantitative method, which includes archival documents, direct observation, and on-site documentation. The study involved an in-depth examination of the proportioning and geometrical principles used in traditional houses and courtyards. Their respective roles in creating harmony and beauty are discussed in this paper.

The development of Chinese ancient architectural design has gone through three historical stages: primitive society, slave society, and feudal society. Due to the influence of geography, the environment, and the humanities, the regional architectural styles of each region were also formed. In particular, this is reflected in the residential architecture. Among residential architectures, the courtyard architectural style is the most typical, adapting to the microclimate and improving the comfort of living. This enclosed style of architecture was accompanied by the diffusion of Chinese culture and enriched the architectural design of the East Asian region. Nonetheless, as urbanisation accelerated, this traditional style of architecture began to be undermined. In addition, there is less discussion of the architectural content that embodies design ideas in terms of ritual, order, form, components, and color. In order to preserve this precious built environment, this study highlights the design style and its connotations. Through the use of case studies, the stylistic characteristics of a traditional dwelling in Northern China and the restoration process are assessed. Furthermore, observations on key building components, construction techniques, and materials are made in terms of architectural ideas. This leads to the proposition that conservation strategies should be appropriate to local conditions. The findings show that building restoration can contribute to the effective conservation of traditional building forms and provide an opportunity to inherit traditional culture. Moreover, it is more conducive to the presence of Chinese residential architecture that shines in the world discourse. New perspectives and contributions are offered in the fields of architectural design and conservation.

Place identity is an important constituent of general cultural identity, in that it provides its share of continuity, sustainability, and character to the built environment. The image of cultural heritage is stored knowledge that reflects the identity of a specific culture. In the formation of a place, some features gain identity with the environment. This study aims to explore the evolving image formation of wind towers in Dubai, and how this image is related to the concept of meaning and cultural identity of the place. This study focuses on the process of place identity formation and its relation to the evolving cultural values of society, as well as how it is applied to the changing meaning of cultural heritage objects. Based on the value assessment approach, different examples of wind towers, taken from either traditional houses or contemporary buildings influenced by the local architecture in Dubai, the author attempted to study how the interpretation and meaning of wind towers has evolved through time, thus influencing the cultural identity of Dubai city. This study is based on qualitative research. It concludes that a wind tower, as a cooling device, represents a unique example of an evolving creative process of architectural expression, resulting from the social and cultural complexity of the Persian Gulf in the early twentieth century. They were introduced through commercial exchange, adapted by the mercantile community, and integrated into local cultural systems—thus creating new architectural features and urban character—and reintroduced as a modern symbol of cultural identity for Dubai and the UAE.

Traditional architecture characteristically uses locally available materials to develop constructive systems and techniques, providing an optimum response to the needs of the population. This study focuses on half-timber walls as a traditional technique taking material form in a wide range of variants found mostly in the northwest half of Spain. Primarily aiming to ensure the broad objective of in-depth documentation, understanding, and study, the microscopic analysis of 24 timber samples obtained from different half-timber walls is proposed. This analysis aims to identify the species or species groups used and to establish a correlation with different aspects of construction including structural resistance, durability, and workability. This makes it possible to identify the predominant use of species found close to the locations from which the samples are obtained, using relatively resistant species for the structural elements of the half-timber wall, as well as the use of species with flexible and easily malleable branches for the construction of the enclosure panels. This indicates that, among the species available in a given location, builders have a degree of knowledge on the characteristics of the material, so they could choose the most suitable ones or develop specific constructive solutions based on these characteristics.

Sustainable architecture is a key approach for creating sustainable cities and reducing the impact of climate change. In hot, arid regions, the passive design traditional architecture is known for its ability to provide comfortable indoor environments and outdoor shaded areas, in contrast to the use of energy-intensive air conditioners in a great deal of modern architecture. Thus, this research used a qualitative methodology based on ENVI-met software to study, investigate, and compare the thermal performance of two urban fabrics as case studies (traditional and modern districts) in the hot, arid climate of the United Arab Emirates. The thermal performance of the old urban districts was better than the new ones, with a lower maximum potential air temperature and an improvement in the level of thermal comfort, measured by a predicted mean vote. Moreover, it was found that enhancing the shade in the outdoor open areas in the modern district, mimicking the traditional passive design solutions, resulted in lower air temperature and PMVs. This research is expected to be one step among many towards creating sustainable, innovative modern architecture.

The Haida plank house is one of the most important models built by the native American Indians. Built on the southwest coast of Canada, it adapts the tradition of the ancient pit houses to the requirements of the humid and cold climate characteristic of the Haida Gwaii Islands. This construction is composed by two main pieces: the central pit covered by a wooden envelope. Both protect its dwellers and their hearths. The ventilation system is based on two solutions: the gaps between the wall planks and a smoke hole that can be opened or closed in the roof at will. The aim of the present research is to analyze the way these two elements arrange the indoor airflow in order to ensure the comfortability of the house. Four cases have been proposed, according to four different dimensions for the gaps: 1, 2, 3 and 4 cm. Each case has been doubled in order to determine how the state of the smoke hole affected the corresponding results. This way, it has been concluded that if the gaps’ width becomes higher than 4 cm, the airflow velocity comfort level would be exceeded. It is been possible to observe how the state of the smoke hole influences the way the air moves around the dwelling.

The study gives an insight into the domain of seasonal mountain settlements for summer cattle grazing (katuns), characteristic for the mountainous areas in the Mediterranean basin. The area of the Kuči Mountain in Montenegro was chosen for the case study. The area contains numerous characteristics exemplary for the topic—193 katuns with more than 2900 belonging housing and subsidiary objects. The presented results originate from the 3-year-long investigations, where the data obtained from archival documents were combined with those acquired through intensive field work and visits to each and every katun determined and documented within the area. The density of these settlements, as well as their architectural and constructional characteristics, show the high level of importance they had for the local population up until the last third of 20th century. Currently, changed sociodemographic trends rendered their intensive traditional use obsolete, but used building techniques, their internal organization and organic connection to the surrounding mountain landscape, have nominated them for important part of region’s historical heritage.