Shading simulation of the courtyard form in different climatic regions

This paper presents a modelling study carried out into the effect of rectangular courtyard proportions on the shading and exposure conditions produced on the internal envelope of the form in four different locations. These locations, Kuala Lumpur, Cairo, Rome and Stockholm, were chosen to represent the climatic regions of hot humid, hot dry, temperate and cold climates, respectively. The study highlights the effect of the climatic conditions on the suggested courtyard ratios and heights to achieve a reasonable annual performance in the examined locations. Also, it clarifies the variation in the courtyard daily shading and exposure performances as a result of changing the location latitude and consequently the sun's position in the sky. The study suggests guidelines and general rules for efficient courtyard design in the considered climatic regions. Furthermore, it states the ranges within which the parameters of the form can be changed with minimum deviation from the optimum performance. The results showed that the shading conditions of the courtyard internal envelope are significantly dependent on the form's proportions, location latitude and available climatic conditions.