There is much eco-waffle about how, with “careful planning”, a new house can be oriented to take maximum advantage of low-angled winter sun whilst shading itself from too much summer heat, etc.  I say “waffle” because most new houses are built on small plots of land on housing estates where there is not enough space for the houses to be oriented in an eco-friendly manner.  Such eco-luxuries are really only an option for expensive architect-designed homes, as featured on “Grand Designs”.  These tend to be built on largish plots, i.e., they are “low-density”, thus ironically contradicting any ecological objectives.  

Wind-towers can still be seen in parts of the Middle-East, like here in Yazd, SE Iran  

Natural air-flow (heavier cool air descending, lighter hot air rising) can be exploited to cool the inside of buildings. Such systems have been used for a long time, especially in desert countries.   For colder countries these air-flow systems could work in reverse cycle – i.e., to duct warm air into a building.  Such techniques are often employed in expensive one-off architect-designed homes, such as are seen on the long-running TV series “Grand Designs”, but these tend to be built in open countryside.  Could these techniques be incorporated into the small “matchbox houses” and medium-density low-rise blocks of flats that politicians tell us we must build 300,000 per year of, in order to solve Britain’s “housing crisis”?  In a word – NOPE..!      

Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water” captures cool breezes off the creek to provide cooling on hot days.

An Oasis City could incorporate this “Termite Mound” air-flow cooling system 

ALL these clever “eco-engineering” energy-saving ideas would be much more effective – and far more economical to install – in large buildings.  A pyramidal Oasis City with its open roof and large atrium would be the ideal platform for a passive aircon system.   Airflow between the lower and upper structure could be regulated by opening and closing of the apex skylight in sync with airflows entering via water channels leading off from the canal into the interior, so that the air entering is cooled and humidified when passing over the water.  Such large buildings would offer many other eco-engineering possibilities.