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DESERT WIND CATCHER HOUSE — 22

A house that catches the breeze.

An earthen courtyard, shaded rooms and a wind tower above the roofs.

DioramaIllustratedClayLinework

Preparing the desert house…

PerspectiveIsometricPlanElevation

StyleView

Drag to orbit · Scroll to zoomDrag to orbit · Pinch to zoom6.5 × 8.0 m courtyard · 8.5 m tower

MAKE IT YOURS

Shape the desert house

01

Catch the breeze

Wind tower heightmm

Wind tower widthmm

Cutaway house & towerRemove the front wing and shaft face to follow the air path

Show airflowBlue: windward supply ↓ · ochre: leeward exhaust ↑

Wind enters one side of the tower and drives air down to the room. Air returns up the separate leeward channel and leaves on the sheltered side. Open the cutaway to see both routes. Colours show supply and exhaust, not measured temperatures.

02

Courtyard & rooms

Courtyard widthmm

Courtyard lengthmm

Room depthmm

Room heightmm

52.0 m² open courtyard

Turn rooms inward around an outdoor centre. Deep doorways and a sheltered edge give the courtyard places to sit as well as routes to pass through.

03

Earth & shade

Earth wall thicknessmm

Canopy projectionmm

Earthen roofsLift the flat roofs to reveal the room bands

Earth plaster

SandOchreRose

Thick walls, recessed openings and reed canopies give the house depth and shade. Change their proportions to explore the enclosure.

04

Life in the courtyard

Courtyard basinA small tiled pool on the central axis

Date palmA planted corner beside the shaded gallery

A person for scaleA resident in the courtyard

13.7 × 15.2 m overall house

05

The pattern

Bring a high opening together with a sheltered outdoor room. This study takes inspiration from Yazd, Iran, where wind catchers, courtyards and thick earthen walls form part of a desert building tradition.

The arrows show one wind direction across the divided tower: pressure supplies air on the windward side, while suction extracts air on the leeward side. Other openings can also carry air; the room arrows are schematic, not a prediction of circulation or cooling performance.

Read the wind catcher ventilation research

Explore the historic city of Yazd

Pattern 22 · Desert wind catcher house

Concept study. Airflow arrows are illustrative, not a thermal simulation. Dimensions are indicative. Changes last for this session.

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Japanese engawaCompare a reed canopy with a sheltered timber veranda.

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