Adopting Courtyards as a Passive Cooling Technique in Mid-rise Buildings – A Feasibility Study

Abstract Courtyards have been an integral part of the buildings in tropical areas, through centuries. The study specifically focuses on analysing the efficiency of adopting courtyards as a passive cooling technique in mid-rise buildings the tropical setting of Calicut, Kerala. It examines the energy performance of courtyards in this context, with respect to natural ventilation combining the effect of the thermal comfort parameters – air temperature and air velocity. Furthermore, it establishes the factors that influence the micro-climate of the building that in turn affect its cooling capacity. The trend in cooling performance of the building is observed for a specific day and extrapolated for the entire year. The study further extends to understand the extent of feasibility of the use of courtyards, by establishing a relation between space utility of the building and its energy performance. It presents a holistic overview of the thermal performance of courtyards in a residential mid-rise building in Calicut, Kerala.