ABSTRACT
Passive Design is a method of construction where a comfortable interior environment can be created using very little energy; simply by eliminating the reliance on active heating or cooling systems. In hot & dry climate an architect„s aim would be to design a building in such a way that solar gains are maximized in winter and, reduce solar gains in summer. A comprehensive research which involves the internet, books, past unpublished thesis project, journals, photographs, papers, case studies, the study, analysis and observation of similar facilities from around the world, with a view to understanding their contributions was employed. Analysis of the climatic data was carried out in order to know how to incorporate the passive design techniques to the existing environment. From the study carry out on the case studies, it can be observed that the most important and frequently occurring Passive design techniques is the solar protection techniques which is easier to apply than Heat modulation or Heat dissipation techniques. The most effective Solar protection techniques used in the case studies are solar control and shading of building surface, landscaping, building form, external finishing and evaporating cooling. Based on the research carried out, it can be concluded that the most important passive cooling techniques is the solar protection technique then followed by heat dissipation technique. This is because the sun is the major source of heat, so allowing it into building will render the other passive cooling techniques ineffective. So prevention of solar access into building should be the first priority before any other techniques. Let?s encourage the use of architectural solutions based on the observation of natural principles that can reliably supplant mechanical means of cooling the building.