The researchers also engage in the design of architectural projects that allow them to apply their expertise to real-world challenges. These projects demonstrate the possibilities of bioclimatic architecture in the desert. Completed projects are monitored and analyzed to further improve understanding and knowledge.
To disseminate their findings and knowledge about desert architecture, DAUP researchers publish research findings, exhibit architectural projects, and engage in professional consulting, academic instruction, international conferences, and seminars. Through these efforts, they aim to share their expertise with practitioners and the public.
The significance of focusing on desert architecture arises from society's continued dependence on non-renewable energy resources and their environmental impact. In Israel, as in many developed countries, a significant portion of energy consumption is related to heating, cooling, and making buildings habitable. Architects and urban planners play a crucial role in minimizing the burden of resource use in buildings and urban settings.
A bioclimatic approach to architecture, considering local climate and conditions, can be applied not only in the desert but in other regions as well. The desert's extreme environment requires considerable inputs of natural resources like water and energy to maintain acceptable levels of human comfort. However, it also presents unique opportunities for utilizing natural energies, such as solar radiation, night ventilation, evaporation, and nocturnal sky radiation, which are particularly effective in arid climates.
In the past, arid regions received little attention from planning professionals due to sparse populations and low development rates. However, as overcrowding in heavily populated areas increases, there is growing pressure to develop peripheral regions, including deserts, in a sustainablee way. Alongside that, climatic and environmental changes, in particular desertification processes, bring the desert into what used to be temperate regions, and enhance the need for desert-specific knowledge to be developed and made available. The Desert Architecture and Urban Planning research group seeks to address these challenges by providing innovative solutions and promoting sustainable development in arid environments.
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