Integration of Safranbolu Houses into Contemporary Architecture: Reinterpreting Traditional Elements through Sustainable Design Strategies

Abstract

This study examines the courtyard, sofa, eaves, portico, façade solid–void composition, wooden lattice window system, stone–timber material use, and summer-winter room arrangement found in traditional Safranbolu residential architecture within the framework of functional, climatic, and sustainability-oriented design principles. The main aim of the study is to investigate how these traditional architectural elements can be transferred to and reinterpreted in contemporary housing design through plan organization, façade design, and three-dimensional modeling studies. In this context, the traditional elements specific to Safranbolu houses were analyzed in terms of privacy, social life, natural ventilation, daylight control, shading, seasonal use, and material rationality. Based on the findings, a design-oriented approach was developed. AutoCAD and SketchUp were used as digital representation tools to support the two-dimensional plan drawing and three-dimensional visualization of the proposed design. The research findings indicate that the courtyard-centered plan layout may contribute to a balanced spatial organization between privacy and social interaction, while architectural elements such as the sofa, eaves, portico, and wooden lattice windows have the potential to be adapted to contemporary housing design in terms of natural ventilation, shading, and daylight control. As a result, the study suggests that Safranbolu’s residential heritage can be evaluated as a holistic set of design principles that may be transferred to contemporary architecture in terms of climatic responsiveness, sustainability-oriented design, and material use. Future studies are recommended to support the proposed design approach through quantitative analysis methods such as energy simulation, daylight analysis, and natural ventilation performance assessment.

Keywords

• Traditional architecture
• Passive energy
• Sustainability
• Safranbolu houses

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval was not required for this study because of there was no study on animals or humans.

References

1. Aksoy, A. (2024, Aralık 26). 8 maddede Safranbolu ve ünlü Safranbolu evlerinin mimari özellikleri. Halkbank Kültür ve Yaşam. https://kulturveyasam.com/8-maddede-safranbolu-unlu-safranbolu-evlerinin-mimari-ozellikleri/.
2. Akyıldız, N. A. (2020). The importance of vernacular architecture with tangible cultural heritage value in sustainable development: Analysis of traditional Safranbolu town. International Journal of Engineering Research and Development, 16(11), 49-57.
3. Aldawoud, A. (2008). Thermal performance of courtyard buildings. Energy and Buildings, 40(5), 906-910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2007.07.007.
4. Ayçam, İ., Akalp, S., & Görgülü, L. S. (2020). The application of courtyard and settlement layouts of the traditional Diyarbakır houses to contemporary houses: A case study on the analysis of energy performance. Energies, 13(3), 587. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13030587.
5. Berković, A., & Canan, F. (2020). The influence of climate and culture in the formation of vernacular settlements in Počitelj, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Safranbolu, Türkiye. bāb Journal of Architecture and Design, 1(2), 260-277.
6. Boughdah, H. (2016). The courtyard house: Can a sustainable future learn from a context relevant past. Environmental Science & Sustainable Development, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.21625/essd.v1i1.17
7. Diz-Mellado, E., Ruiz-Pardo, Á., Rivera-Gómez, C., Sanchez de la Flor, F. J., & Galán-Marín, C. (2023). Unravelling the impact of courtyard geometry on cooling energy consumption in buildings. Building and Environment, 237, Article 110349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110349.
8. Ebneali, S. S. (2025). The evolution of courtyard architecture. In R. Rahbarianyazd & H. A. Nia (Eds.), Resilient heritage & adaptive urbanism, 11-14, Cinius Yayınları. https://doi.org/10.38027/N2ICCAUA2025EN0181

9. Ghaffarianhoseini, A., & Berardi, U., (2015). Thermal performance characteristics of unshaded courtyards in hot and humid climates. Building and Environment, 87, 154-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2015.02.001
10. Izadpanahi, P., Farahani, L. M., & Nikpey, R. (2021). Lessons from sustainable and vernacular passive cooling strategies used in traditional Iranian houses. Journal of Sustainability Research, 3(2), e210010. https://doi.org/10.20900/jsr20210010
11. Khan, H. M., Lane-Serff, G. F., & Dewsbury, J. (2022). Optimizing the design of courtyard houses for passive cooling in hot, dry regions. Journal of Building Performance Simulation. https://doi.org/10.1080/19401493.2022.2134460
12. Köseoğlu, N. (2015). Safranbolu ilçesinin fiziki coğrafyası. Yüksek lisans tezi, Karabük Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Karabük Üniversitesi.
13. Muhaisen, A. S. (2006). Shading simulation of the courtyard form in different climatic regions. Building and Environment, 41(12), 1731-1741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2005.07.016
14. Nishinthan, K., & Rajapaksha, U. (2023). Vernacular courtyard as a design strategy for thermal performance in hot dry climate with reference to residential buildings in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. FARU Proceedings 2023: Empower Communities, 79-90. University of Moratuwa.
15. Rahaei, O., Shirdel, A. H., Asadpour, F., & Omidi, M. (2026). Explaining the pattern of natural ventilation in central courtyards of traditional houses based on orientation. Sustainable Cities and Society Advances, 2, 100025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scsadv.2026.100025
16. Şahin, R., & Dinçer, A. E. (2024). Evaluating the design principles of traditional Safranbolu houses. Buildings, 14(8), Article 2553. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14082553
17. Soflaei, F., Shokouhian, M., & Mofidi Shemirani, S. M. (2016). Investigation of Iranian traditional courtyard as passive cooling strategy: A field study on BS climate. Sustainable Cities and Society, 24, 89-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2016.03.010