The Courtyard as Climate-Responsive Architecture: An Analysis of the Tabatabai House in Kashan as a Model of Sustainable Iranian Domestic Design

ABSTRACT This study investigates the Tabatabai House (Khāneh-ye Tabātabā’i) in Kashan, Iran, as a paradigm of pre-modern sustainable architecture. Constructed in the late 19th century during the Qajar era, the house exemplifies an integrated system of passive cooling, natural ventilation, thermal mass regulation, and spatial organization responsive to arid climatic conditions. Through architectural analysis, climatic data interpretation, and spatial performance evaluation, this paper demonstrates how indigenous design strategies, such as the central courtyard, wind towers (badgirs), subterranean chambers (sardabs), and thick earthen walls, collectively achieve thermal comfort without mechanical intervention. The findings are contextualized within contemporary sustainability frameworks, including ASHRAE Standard 55 and the Passive House Institute’s criteria. The article argues that the Tabatabai House is not merely a cultural relic but a functional prototype for low-energy residential design in hot-arid climates. Recommendations are offered for adapting its principles in contemporary urban housing, particularly in regions facing energy insecurity and climate vulnerability. This research contributes to decolonizing sustainable architecture discourse by validating non-Western knowledge systems as scientifically rigorous and globally applicable.