The devolution of thermal resilience in residential houses in Khartoum

Air-conditioning (AC) use is increasing in developing countries. Understanding the underlying thermal comfort issues and the socioeconomic factors that lead to this reduced thermal resilience is vital to reduce electric consumption. This study focused on residential buildings in Khartoum, which consumes 70% of Sudan’s electric production. A sample of six houses were monitored for two months followed by in-depth interviews for two of those houses. The monitoring showed that the AC type impacted both the internal diurnal temperature variations and the usage patterns. Naturally ventilated spaces were found to be uncomfortable most of the time regardless of the house type. However, in AC spaces, the building fabric impacted how long the space stayed cool after the AC was turned off. This implies that although using AC is necessary for thermal comfort, improving the building fabric can reduce its usage. The in-depth interviews revealed that traditional courtyard houses were subject to changes that altered their ability to function as intended, which compromised their thermal resilience. The main drivers for these changes were increased spatial needs, security and social change. As modern buildings fulfil these needs, improving their thermal resilience is the best solution within the context of urban Khartoum.