ABSTRACT
Many studies concentrate on courtyards as climatically responsive urban forms. For instance, Fathy (1986) and Bahadori (1978) claim that courtyard introversion fulfilled several functions in hot arid regions: the creation of an open sheltered zone, the adoption of ingenious natural cooling strategies, the protection against wind-blown dust or sand and the mitigation of the effects of solar excess. According to them-and many other scholars-climate appears to be one of the strongest determinants of architectural form, especially the shape of streets and courtyards. Fathy states:
By simple analysis it becomes quite understandable how such a pattern came to be universally adopted in the Arab world. It is only natural for anybody experiencing the severe climate of the desert to seek shade by narrowing and properly orienting the street, to avoid the hot desert winds by making the streets winding, with closed vistas.
