icancauseaconstellation:

The Wind Catchers of Hyderabad 1928 - Photo from the book “Architecture without Architects” by Bernard Rudofsky.

The city of Hyderabad in the Sindh province of Pakistan was once dominated by a roofscape of towering wind catchers, or “bad-gir”, as they were known locally.  These fixed wind scoops would provide ventilation to the whole household in the hot summer days. The heating of the chimney would cause cool air to be drawn from high up and would then be channeled through the rooms and out the front door. This method had been in use in the city for over five hundred years, but has now mostly been replaced by mechanical air conditioning with the chimneys being used to install satellite dishes.

tipu sultan merkez’ by ziegert roswag seiler architekten ingenieure, jar  maulwi, pakistan
all images © holcim foundation
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/17910/ziegert-roswag-seiler-architekten-ingenieure-earthen-school-in-pakistan.html 
‘tipu sultan merkez’ earthen school in jar maulwi, pakistan by berlin-based architectural and engineering practice ziegert roswag seiler architekten ingenieure has received this year's holcim award for sustainable construction within the asia-pacific region. the first level of of the two-story building is constructed with cob walls comprised of locally sourced clay, sand, straw, water and earth. resting upon brick foundations, the interior spaces are protected from moisture penetrating from the ground or rainwater. the upper floor is a bamboo framework filled with an earthen mixture. 

the combined result of the structure absorbs humidity and the mass of the thick 60 centimeter bearing walls reduces the temperature of interior spaces by 8 degrees celsius during the 40 degree summer heat. local residents were able to build their new community facility by implementing appropriate construction technologies and skills which were already present within the village.