Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/Malqaf

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In hot arid zones, a difficulty is found in combining the three functions of the ordinary window: light, ventilation, and view. If windows are used to provide indoor air movement, they must be very small, which reduces indoor lighting. Increasing the size to permit sufficient lighting and an outside view lets in hot air as well as a strong glare.

Therefore, it is necessary to separately satisfy the three functions ascribed to the window. Malqaf is part of a complete ventilation system that consists of a large shaft rising high above the roof of a building. The ventilation system developed depends primarily on air movement driven by pressure differential, but also secondarily on convection.

To satisfy the need for ventilation alone, the Malqaf or wind-catch was invented. It is a shaft rising high above the roofline, with a single large opening and a diagonally sloping top that faces the prevailing wind. It traps the wind from high above the building, where it is cooler and stronger, and channels it into the building's interior. The Malqaf thus dispenses with the need for ordinary windows to ensure ventilation and air movement. The Malqaf is also useful for reducing the sand and dust prevalent in the winds of hot, arid regions.

The wind it captures above the building contains less solid material than the wind at lower heights, and much of the sand which does enter is dumped at the bottom of the shaft. The value of the Malqaf is even more obvious in dense cities in warm humid climates, where thermal comfort depends mostly on air movement. It’s found especially in Egypt, Iran, and Pakistan but also in Egypt, where the Malqaf has long been a feature of Islamic architecture.

• Green Building.

• https://architecture.knoji.com/types-of-traditional-windcatcher-malqaf-part-2/