Four wind towers help keep an Iranian city's water cool. Source: David Stanley/CC 2.0
In the hot desert cities of Iran, wind catchers were used for centuries to capture cool breezes and push them downward into living spaces and underground cellars that stored perishable food. Also known as “badgirs,” the chimney-like structures are excellent examples of how building designs were adapted to keep residents more comfortable in the harsh desert temperatures. With the introduction of modern air conditioning, wind catchers are now symbols of the past. Preservationists are working to restore some of these structures, considered by many to be feats of engineering.
