The Influence of Urban Geometry on Thermal Comfort and Energy Consumption in Residential Building of Hot Arid Climate, Assiut, Egypt

Designing climatically responsive dwellings not only can achieve thermal comfort for occupants, but also can make a significant improvement in energy conservation. Consequently, interest in the microclimate around buildings in urban areas has increased because its affects other things; outdoor and indoor thermal comfort, energy consumption in heating and cooling, and the spreading of air pollution. This paper aims to investigate the influence of open spaces (outer courtyards) between building “Shallow canyons” with a H/W ratio of 0.24∼0.6 in one of the urban patterns of youth housing sectors in New Assiut city and deep canyons with a H/W ratio of 4 in one of the new residential houses (El-Abrahimia and El-Moalemen complexes) in the center of Assiut city on indoor thermal comfort. A comparison was made between the two cases based on indoor thermal comfort, energy consumption and IAQ in hot arid climate.The st**udy shows a decrease of indoor temperature inside living rooms that overlook the deep canyons in El-Abrahimia complex with a difference of 11 °C from the outdoor in the hottest day of July. The design of deep canyons causes a temperature decrease of 6∼9.4 °C compared to outdoor temperature in different points of the courtyard. Indoor temperature in these cases reach the upper limit of 90% acceptable range of ASHRAE during July with a maximum indoor temperature 32.5 °C based on the strategy of using natural ventilation. The findings show decreases of cooling demand and energy consumption in deep canyons. This is considered a basic monitoring method that could be used in the future strategy of sustainable housing design of new cities in hot arid climate.