Adaptation of climate-responsive building design strategies and resilience to climate change in the hot/arid region of Khartoum, Sudan

Climate change has become one of the most discussed topics in recent decades. Indices show climate alterations have occurred in Khartoum, Sudan, resulting in uncomfortable and challenging-to-manage indoor conditions. In this study, Khartoum’s climate data from 1981 to 2015 was analyzed and compared to identify trends in temperature, precipitation, and sand-dust storm intensification. Metronome Company created Khartoum’s hourly weather file from averages of basic climate parameters available for 1996 to 2015 and Meteonorm 7.2.1 calculated an hourly climate file for Khartoum in 2070. These figures were then related to design characteristics and lifecycles of local buildings. To counter 2070 climate conditions, resilient design strategies were evaluated to optimize thermal comfort for building users and minimize energy usage today and in the future. A comparison of design strategies from the year 2015 to those for 2070 discovered that strategies must shift to more active-cooling by the year 2070 when natural ventilation and active heating will no longer be beneficial design strategies during all seasons. While two-stage evaporative cooling is the most strategic for all of Khartoum’s seasons, more resilient passive-design strategies should be adapted for use with Khartoum’s underutilized renewable resources to reduce future active-cooling demand and optimize thermal comfort.