An Investigation of The Architectural Strategies in Adaptive Reuse Projects in Consideration of Climate Breakdown

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the application of different architectural strategies to meet the climate requirements. The research aims to evaluate the different architectural practices implemented, in adaptive reuse projects, to confront the climate breakdown and determine whether they are able to be adapted to different structures, functions, and to the climate changes within The Kingdome of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Region. The qualitative approach is employed in this study by combining two methodologies, conducting interviews and case study, of the existing buildings in Riyadh Region. The analysis criteria involve mainly the architectural strategies especially, adapting the passive strategies of traditional buildings & materials. The findings reveal that the main issue affecting the building’s performance in the region is the heat-gain. Therefore, controlling this problem has led the architects to a common strategy, which is increasing the thickness of the walls with minimizing the architectural openings. Resulting a pleasant interior environment through the achieved thermal comfort, and a notable reduction in the energy consumption, affecting the climate crisis positively. Overall, the discussed architectural applications have proven a performance efficiency in responding to the climate changes and adapting ideally to various structure types and functions in repurposing the building’s usage.