The most distinctive feature of the traditional architecture of the Gulf coast, windtowers or badgeers soar seven metres above the rooftops, catching the breeze and funnelling it down into the upstairs rooms. At least half the length of the tower has an enclosed air well and, through a simple convection process, the air within the tower draws in and cools the hot air from outside.

The towers open on four sides, catching equally the hot, light and dry breeze off the desert and the cool, tangy sea breeze which quickens in the afternoon.

The Bastakiya is the last windtower quarter left on the Arab side of the Gulf, although individual houses survive elsewhere. In summer the extended families who lived in these houses of up to 30 rooms, often migrated up to the first floor rooms cooled by the windtower. The airflow is largely confined to the area immediately beneath the tower, where cushions or beds were placed. Older residents recall a gentler, more economical and more welcoming comfort than the harsh chill of an air conditioner, which demands closed doors…