Abstract
The use of passive design is not a new innovation. It is as old as the technique of building and art of architecture. Prior to the modern era, architects and builders had little else other than local materials and natural resources. They designed their buildings carefully so as to maximize the thermal properties of materials and the availability of local resources. Contemporary architecture reveals its similarity in almost every part of the world without any consideration to regional characteristics, in comparison to vernacular architecture which is almost always climatically appropriate, where architects and builders traditionally had to design with respect to nature and local climate. This paper attempts to evaluate the housing settlements in Ghadames where the vernacular, urban and architectural patterns provide useful hints for designing more sustainable environments. In this context, the compact city, covered streets and covered courtyard, provide the elements most important to climatic comfort efficacy in a hot arid climatic region. The importance of using renewable energy and local materials are also explored as a design tool towards more sustainable development solutions.