Wind-Catchers: Tracing Their Historical Identity as Skyline Features and Cooling Solutions in Architecture

Abstract

Wind catcher towers, known as Baad-geer in Farsi language, are a distinctive feature of the vernacular architecture in both hot-arid and hot-humid regions of Iran and in the middle East. Functioning as a passive cooling system, these structures regulate indoor temperatures during summer by harnessing natural airflow. Installed on the highest part of the buildings, mostly residential, wind catchers have been always exposed to fast deterioration, hence, tracing their exact date of origination and historical evolution seems challenging. This paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from archaeology, literature, and architectural studies to investigate the origins of wind catchers. The descriptive analytical methodology has been adopted for processing the data. Based on the available evidence, the research concludes that the origin of wind catchers goes back to pre-Islamic period in Iran.