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NATURAL HABITAT

LATERAL CONNECTIVES MOUND
Termites are best known for their ability to
build magnificent nests out of the ground more
CHIMNEY
skillfully than a human being could. The skill of
these tropical architects is undisputed in
SURFACE CONDUIT
RADIAL CHANNEL building cities that seem to appear out of
FUNGUS GARDENS nowhere. Their ease in finding building materials
and technical skills are amazing. Every species
of termite builds different kinds of nests
NELj GALLERIES suitable to their needs. These nests can be
found inside trees, on or under the ground.
CELLAR
Nests that are shaped like mountains are
architecturally very complex. The construction
of all the nests begins underground, where
compartments become more spacious as they
If we compare the height of an average approach the surface. A cross-section of a
termite nest with the size of a worker termite nest would show that the inside
termite and adjust the scale to a human resembles a sponge composed of countless cells
being 1.80 meters in height, the termite 2.5 cm in size, or smaller. These cells are joined
construction would be like a 960-meter by narrow passages only large enough for
skyscraper-higher than every human termites to pass through. Termites thrive in
building in the world. For example, it is five an atmosphere whose temperature and
times higher than the Great Pyramid of humidity are constant, with a carbon dioxide
Egypt. If we consider that a termite content of between 5 and 15%. In such an
finishes its structure in three to four environment, human beings would lose
years, this is the equivalent of many consciousness, but termites survive easily.
thousands of human years.

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTGURE URBAN HABITAT

ALMERIA, SPAIN DAKAR, SENEGAL

In arid climates, houses must remain cool in the extremely hot summers and warm in cold winters. The air temperature is often hotter than in tropical climates, and
there is little relief provided by rain or breezes during the day, so people tend to shut up their houses against the extreme outside temperatures. People may also use
a shady outdoor place that is sheltered from hot, dry winds during the day. Cooler nights in arid climates and cool changes in temperate zones can provide an
opportunity to cool the building fabric and flush hot air from the house. A good passive design strategy in summer in these regions is to shade and insulate the house
against the heat of the day and flush out any stored heat during the cooler nights. In winter, dry, sunny days provide plenty of opportunity to capture and store
solar energy in a solid material such as a concrete floor or brick walls (thermal mass).
URBAN HABITAT URBAN HABITAT

Urban climate modifications like the urban heat island (UHI) have been extensively investigated in
temperate regions. In contrast, the understanding of how urbanization relates to climate in hot,
hyperarid environments is still extremely limited, despite the growing socioeconomic relevance of arid
lands and their fast urbanization rate. Over the last decades, desert cities have experienced an
unprecedented growth, fostered by the rapid socioeconomic development of arid regions and
sustained by more effective and accessible desalination technologies, energy efficient materials, and
ad hoc design solutions . Most of this growth is taking place in newly developed cities that are thus
becoming hot spots of local climate modification and environmental change , although similar patterns
can be found in less recent desert urban settlements like the ones of the Sun Corridor in Arizona,
now approaching the size of modern megalopolis. Despite the growing socioeconomic relevance of hot
desert cities (HDCs) and their rapidly increasing ecological footprint, local climate modifications
induced by the urbanization of hyperarid regions have been scarcely addressed in the literature, if
not in the form of site-specific studies.

ARID NATURAL & URBAN HABITAT
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