Spatial arrangement of courtyards: impacts of verticalization and volumetric fragmentation on thermal comfort
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46421/entac.v20i1.5868Keywords:
Thermal cooling, Thermal comfort, Sunlight, UTCI index, Spatial arrangementAbstract
The orientation and geometric shape of the courtyard, especially the proportion between height and length, impact on the solar radiation received. Our objective is to investigate whether the spatial arrangement provided by the change in the building's height and the volumetric fragmentation of the courtyard are factors that affect thermal comfort. The courtyard configuration located in a tropical climate was changed considering: a) raising the original height from 4 to 8 and 12m; and, b) fragmentation from one to two and four volumes. Simulations using ENVI-met software of scenarios with the existing courtyard and hypothetical ones with different form factors were carried out, deriving thermal sensation by the Universal Thermal Climatic Index (UTCI). The courtyard with an 12m height reduced the average daily thermal sensation by 0.75°C compared to the original courtyard, while the one fragmented into four volumes and 6m high only 0.36°C. When both factors were varied, the courtyard with a 12m height and fragmented into four volumes, the reduction was 3.5°C. We concluded that individual factors had a smaller impact while the combined ones had a greater impact on the thermal sensation due to the compacting effect, reducing thermal gains in the interior envelope. This research demonstrates the impact that the courtyard spatial arrangement provides on its interior thermal ambiance.
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