Philip Kennicott visited New Gourna and Cairo in Egypt and Diyarbakir in Turkey to explore historic cooling techniques. Sima Diab photographed them in Egypt. Dec. 28 at 6:30 a.m.

This one combines contemporary architecture and modern minimalism ... combines the warmth and texture of wood as well as the cool, urban look of metal. One side of the house has slatted paneling ...

For these reasons, architects and engineers have long been looking for ways to cool buildings without ... "Traditional architecture has so much wisdom, knowledge, and methods that are really ...