Best shapes for buildings in the desert

[Wayneburg]

Hello,

Anyone know where I can find information about the best shapes to design a building for the hot desert? I would assume a shape like a dome or a cylinder would expose the least amount of surface area to the sun and therefore reduce the amount of sunlight that strikes the building's surface.

Any thoughts?


Thanks

[gardenlen]

dunno i suppose but would imagine some that is good on insulation adn creates its own shade. or take a page out of the book of people living in lighting ridge or cooba pede(i think?) over here in australia they found the best way is underground, the air temp is always stable and consistant under there. maybe take a cue from how teh critters do it?

len

[RobWindt]

Thinking about "how the critters" do it - have a look at the large termite mounds in northern Aus', they have a "squeezed" oval shape tapering towards the top that presents the minimal area to the sun at high noon, they also use the heat generated at the top to draw cooling air through the structure.
I've always fancied the idea of two of these side by side with a shaded courtyard (with windbreaks) between them for desert dwelling, or the venturi shape between two such structures could be suitable for a wind turbine
Cheers
Rob