<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <article key="pdf/10004142" mdate="2016-02-01 00:00:00"> <author>Mohammad Saraj Sharifzai and Keisuke Kitagawa and Mohammad Kamil Halimee and Javid Habib and Daishi Sakaguchi</author> <title>A Comparative Study of Afghan Traditional and Contemporary Courtyard Housing Regarding Affordable Planning and Sustainability</title> <pages>412 - 417</pages> <year>2016</year> <volume>10</volume> <number>3</number> <journal>International Journal of Architectural and Environmental Engineering</journal> <ee>https://publications.waset.org/pdf/10004142</ee> <url>https://publications.waset.org/vol/111</url> <publisher>World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology</publisher> <abstract>The purpose of this research is to upgrade a pleasing, sustainable and safe shelter in the Afghan urban community. It also aims to maintain traditional housing, which is fitted to its environment, while attempting to upgrade it with new, traditional standards. The three main objectives of this study are to upgrade the traditional courtyard house to become safe and sustainable today and tomorrow; to fit the contemporary house environmentally and culturally, and to suppress or reduce the broad gap between traditional and contemporary housing. The paper tries to exhibit and analyze the sustainably best practices available in both traditional and contemporary courtyard housing in Afghanistan. For instance, the use of thick walls and TawaKhana (floor heating system) shows the best sustainable practice in that context. </abstract> <index>Open Science Index 111, 2016</index> </article>