The concept of “Local Smart Architecture”: An Approach to Appropriate Local Sustainable Buildings

AUTHOR(S):

Faysal M. Abo-elazm, Shimaa M. Ali

KEYWORDS

Intelligence, Smartness, Local smart architecture, Sustainability, Appropriate, Karna City, Hassan Fathy, and Siwa.

ABSTRACT

The recent decades have witnessed the widespread manifestation of intelligent building design development around the world. Meanwhile, the concept of smart buildings has stimulated various architects and designers to make use of it for the sake of sustainable building. Intelligence is described as “the adaptaption with the surrounding environment”, while Intelligent Buildings is defined as “It is a sustainable in terms of energy, and water consumptions besides being slowly polluting in terms of emissions and waste, healthy in terms of well-being for the people living and working within, and functional according to the user needs” [1]. The research paper has taken this definition as a point of departure in the subsequent formulation of research objectives and approaches to the study. It focuses on the gap in defining and applying the expression of “Smart Architecture” between theory and practice especially in developing countries, owing to the lack of deep consideration of the available technology and local materials for ensuring the appropriateness as come of the main objectives of the sustainable smart architecture designs. The study proposes the concept of “Local Smart Architecture” based on the available technology in less developed countries. It aims to prove that it is not important to own High Technology to build Smart Building, through exploring two Egyptian case studies, which are the architecture of poor in Gourna City by Hassan Fathy, and Architecture of Bedouins in Siwa Oasis. The research ends up with the concept of Local Smart Architecture through utilization of appropriate vernacular architectural features in smart buildings design in order to achieve sustainability..

Cite this paper

Faysal M. Abo-elazm, Shimaa M. Ali. (2017) The concept of “Local Smart Architecture”: An Approach to Appropriate Local Sustainable Buildings. International Journal of Cultural Heritage, 2, 1-12