The purpose of this study investigates the impact of material selection and architectural design strategies in Acehnese traditional houses on indoor thermal comfort, aiming to contribute to sustainable building practices in hot-humid climates. While thermal comfort has been widely studied, there is limited research on how traditional architectural elements and indigenous materials affect thermal performance. To address this gap, the approach of this study evaluates thermal comfort using Predicted Mean Vote-Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PMV-PPD) and Standard Effective Temperature (SET) indices, supported by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations conducted using ANSYS. Field measurements were carried out on two traditional house models with differing layouts and roof materials. Additionally, simulation analyses were performed on four models with various wall and roof material combinations. The main numerical results, from both field measurements and simulations, show that traditional houses constructed with wooden walls and rumbia (palm leaf) roofing provide superior thermal comfort compared to models using other materials. Key contributing factors include the insulating properties of rumbia, natural ventilation, spatial configuration, and extended roof overhangs that provide shading. These conclusions emphasize the effectiveness of passive design strategies embedded in Acehnese traditional architecture, suggesting their potential application in contemporary sustainable design. The study underscores the value of local knowledge in creating thermally comfortable environments with minimal energy use. However, the study's scope is limited to a specific regional architectural style and climate, which may affect the generalizability of the results. Despite this, it provides a foundation for future research on traditional architecture’s role in sustainable building design and supports efforts to preserve cultural heritage while addressing modern environmental challenges.