Conceptual framework of windcatcher’s natural ventilation for an urban thermal comfort

Climate changes in recent decades have caused among other risks significant overheating of urban ecosystems from a global perspective. The number of tropical days is constantly increasing in the cities of Central Europe, and experts predict this trend will continue. Increasing energy consumption for cooling buildings and their different heights during the daily and annual cycle requires not only a more extensive application of storage battery systems to ensure current consumption but especially greater involvement of natural and renewable sources for energy production. The current geopolitical situation increases the urgency of this requirement. The usage of clean recycling or renewable energy from the sun, water or wind natural elements is essential for providing environmental sustainability in the cities. Mechanical cooling systems in buildings are the main producers of carbon dioxide emissions, which have negative impacts on the environment and amplify global warming, particularly in a hot climate. Wind natural cooling system, known as windcatcher and exploited for centuries in Iran and other arid climatic areas, offers the opportunity to improve the ambient comfort conditions in buildings whilst reducing the energy consumption of air-conditioning systems. Modern windcatcherś applications show their obvious potential for contemporary architecture in not arid climatic areas as well. Nevertheless, their potential at the level of the urban scale of the group of buildings and public spaces has not been sufficiently explored and documented. The applied research method is descriptive and comparative and provides the conceptual framework of the existing windcatcheŕs natural ventilation system and its potential for modern architecture; specifies the objectives and approaches for its application in the urban environment in the not arid Central European climatic conditions.