Sustainable Construction Methods Using Ancient BAD GIR (Wind Catcher) Technology

The 21st century requires the incorporation of sustainable means and methods in all phases of construction to ensure that future generations will have the same benefits we currently enjoy. Leadership in Environment and Energy Design (LEED) is now moving the green building industry forward. The use of passive air cooling/ventilation systems is a technology that aligns itself with LEED requirements by promoting advanced energy performance through elimination of excess fuel/energy consumption to cool buildings. Few modern passive air cooling/ventilation systems exist in the United States but one successful installation has been constructed at the Zion National Park visitor's center (ZNPVC) in southern Utah. Our research has investigated the use of an ancient Iranian passive air cooling/ventilation system called "BAD GIR" (meaning "wind catcher" in Persian) as an answer to the need for passively cooling structures in southwestern United States Both Iran and Utah contain high desert plateaus with both having similar climates and topography. The constructability, methodology, and viability of BAD GIR technology for residential and small commercial applications in Utah and surrounding arid regions will be studied and proposed as an architectural structure for a visitor's center on the Timbisha Indian Tribal lands in Death Valley, CA.