College of Architecture Trivandrum

Impact of courtyards on the ventilation and daylighting of

residences in Trivandrum

Taniya Sara Philip

Guided by: Jayaprakash V N

ABSTRACT: Courtyards are open, typically enclosed spaces located within the confines of a building or complex,
designed to serve various functional and aesthetic purposes. This research explores how courtyards – open,
central, side court spaces within residential buildings, affect natural ventilation patterns and indoor environmental
conditions. Through a combination of field measurements of case studies, interviews and literature reviews, the
study investigates the role of courtyards in facilitating cross-ventilation and reducing reliance on mechanical
cooling systems. In Trivandrum, a city with a hot and humid tropical climate, the need for courtyards in residences
is increasing due to their significant impact on enhancing indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency. This
research highlights the value of incorporating courtyards into residential architecture in Trivandrum as a strategy
to improve ventilation and daylighting. The questionnaire prepared focusses on gathering information about the
need and perspective of courtyard implementation by the architects’ and clients. Key design factors, such as
courtyard size, shape, orientation, and the configuration of surrounding structures, are examined to determine
their impact on ventilation efficacy.

KEYWORDS: Courtyards, Ventilation, Daylighting, Residences of Trivandrum

1 INTRODUCTION 2.2 Research Question

Understanding how courtyards can enhance How do courtyards influence natural
natural ventilation is crucial for improving indoor ventilation and daylighting in residential buildings in
climate control and overall comfort. The study helps to Trivandrum?
identify how different types of courtyards used 2.3 Objectives
according to varying site conditions in Trivandrum and
different physical features formulated are  To understand how courtyards facilitate
instrumental in tackling ventilation and daylighting. ventilation and daylighting in a residence.
 To study how parameters according to literature
The research aims to understand how
review have been applied in practical life.
courtyards facilitate ventilation and daylighting in
 To study how openings are juxtapositioned with
residences. The main research question focuses on the
respect to courtyard orientation.
influence of these factors in courtyard residences of
 Helps to understand the organisation of spaces
Trivandrum. The methodology focuses on data
around courtyards.
collection based on literature reviews, parameter
identification, analysis of parameters on literature and
live case studies, open question interviews on user 2.4 Methodology
groups, and a final analysis, etc. Final analysis is a three
layered tabulation of interpretations from the user,  DATA COLLECTION - Parameter identification
through secondary data collection (case studies)
summing up whether courtyards and their design do
Case study data collection – primary. Surveys
have an impact on ventilation and daylighting in
and questionnaire data collection from users.
residences.
 DATA ANALYSIS - Analysis of data from
2 THE ROLE OF COURTYARDS IN ENHANCING literature reviews and surveys, doing a
VENTILATION AND DAYLIGHTING comparative study.
 COMPARATIVE STUDY - A three layer
2.1 Aim comparative study on the parameters
(architects perspective, user perspective and
To evaluate the impact of courtyards on literature findings) is analysed and the most apt
natural ventilation and daylighting in residential design strategy in courtyards is observed.
buildings in Trivandrum.

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Figure 1 Position of
courtyards according to Figure 2 Position
micro climate. Source: of evaporative spaces.
Author Source: Author

2.7.1.2 Cross Ventilation

 Cross ventilation is a natural method of cooling. It

forces air through the exterior openings to enter
2.5 Scope into the courtyard creating a pathway for the
wind. Openings from SW - NE facilitate cross
 To compare the performance of courtyards in ventilation throughout the day
aiding ventilation and daylighting in residences
in Trivandrum.
Figure 3 Cross
 A study on the principles adopted by different ventilation in the
architects for implementing effective ventilation windward direction.
through courtyards. Source: Author
 To assess the physical characteristics of the
house aiding passive ventilation and daylighting
techniques.
2.7.1.3 Zoning of activities and
 Side courtyards are taken, which are open to sky
courts. associated rooms in response to
heat and light
2.6 Limitations
 The study is focused on residences based in
Trivandrum. Figure 4 Spatial
 The study could be conducted on a particular organisation of a
courtyard house
day’s climate and not throughout the season.
w.r.t heat, light and
2.7 Background Research wind. Source: Author

Book reviews and literature case studies are

analysed to observe parameters which can be used to
interpret courtyards on the basis of ventilation and  Use of activities taking up warmer areas in cooler
daylighting. The book reviews are taken on the basis of periods and cooler areas in warmer periods.
global and local levels.
2.7.1.4 Orientation of courtyard
2.7.1 Sun, Wind and Light – Architectural
 Courtyard buildings should be oriented at an
Strategies – 2nd Edition by G.Z Brown, Dekay
angle of 45 degree to the wind to facilitate wind
flow.
2.7.1.1 Orientation of courtyards and  Facilitates opposite positive and negative
their openings depending upon pressures in each room.
the microclimate objective of the
designer. Figure 5
Orientation of
 Orientation and location of rooms with respect courtyard. Source:
to sun and wind Author
 Openings from SW - NE facilitate cross ventilation,
aiding to evaporative cooling when water bodies
are present

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2.7.1.8 Interiors and landscape

2.7.1.5 Elongation of Courtyard

Figure 10
Reflection of
Figure 6 Courtyard light on white
elongated in N-S axis. walls. Source:
Source: Author Author
 Textured / coloured
courtyards to reflect light
 Courtyards along the N – S axis gets more shade  External can also be light to prevent
throughout the day. absorption of light and heat
 White interiors helps to prevent glare

2.7.1.9 Stack Ventilation Effect

 Courtyards that
are elongated along the East - West axis have Figure 11
less shade and more sun on the walls and floor. Stack effect in
courtyards. Source:
Author
2.7.1.6 Size of Openings
 Courtyard facilitates air movement
 Cross-ventilation happens on the windward
side while stack happens on the loner side
where there is less access to wind.

2.7.2 Courtyard houses of India by Yatin Panday

Figure 8 Positioning of openings. Source: Author 2.7.2.1 Vaasthu Shasthra

 Small openings in the facades facilitates privacy Figure 12

form outdoors, while the large openings to the Concept of central
courtyard provide a sense of enclosure and spaces. Source:
Author
safety for the user, giving privacy
 Windows facing a buffer/court must be larger
than those in the exterior facades
 Courtyard is located at the center of the block,
2.7.1.7 Height to Width Ratio called the naalukettu.
 Auspicious spaces are oriented in the NE, SE
directions while inauspicious spaces are
Figure 9 Height to placed in the NW.
width ratio of  Kitchen is optimally placed in the Kanni Moola.
courtyards. Source:
Author
2.7.3 Climate Responsive Archietcture by Aravind
Krishna
 As the distance between two residential
blocks increases, more wind flows inwardly
between two blocks.
 When heating is a privacy, courtyards with a
height - width ratio less than 1.0 is preferred
for maximum entry of wind.
Figure 13 Concept of central spaces. Source: Author
 Courtyards should be open to south.

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 During day time, warm air becomes less dense 2.9.5 Orientation of Courtyard
and rises up. This in turn is replaced by the cold
 Elongation of the courtyard is along the East -
air coming through the courtyard, which is
West axis, which is not an optimum elongation
more dense and replaces the warm air.
axis as it may lack shade. But since the courtyard
 During night time, the concept is reversed.
is small, there won’t be an issue of lack of shade.
2.8 Parameter Analysis
2.9.6 Size of Openings
 From the book, these parameters are identified
regarding the courtyard and the various other  Since it is an internal court, there are windows
elements regarding light and heat associated with only on the facade and not opening to it.
it. These parameters are used to analyse Therefore, the courtyard does not act significantly
courtyard houses in Trivandrum, to understand in giving privacy. It provides privacy at the edge
how courtyards facilitate daylighting and facing the external boundary wall of the house.
ventilation. The parameters are tested on both The presence of louvers and jali creates a play of
literature and live case studies. light and wind inside the house w.r.t the
2.9 Literature Case Study – Brick House, courtyard.
Trivandrum
2.9.7 Height to width ratio
The Brick House is a contemporary house that is
designed to be both a place of respite and exhilaration  The width of the courtyard seems to be lesser
for the Clients – a young family both Doctors and their than the height, therefore height - width ration is
two kids, the lady of the house a trained dancer too. less than 1. SO the entry of wind into the house is
The plan addresses the diverse requirements - a blend limited through the courtyard.
of novelty and function, public presentation and
private expression. The courtyard present is an 2.9.8 Interiors and landscape
internal open one connecting and providing a visual
 Burnt brick interiors with brick louvers and jali
access to all the spaces.
works contrasting the green landscape of the
space. The quiet reflective brick-edged lotus pool
2.9.1 Orientation of courtyards and their openings beside the informal stage gives a palpable and
depending upon the microclimate objective inviting vibe to this space.
of the designer
 House is oriented towards the NE, with it 2.9.9 Vaasthu Shasthra
elongation along the N-S axis. Openings along the
 Kitchen is placed in the kanni moola of the house,
SW-NE axis.
making the spot auspicious.

2.9.2 Cross ventilation

2.10 Analysis and Inference – Case Study
 There are openings along the SW - NE direction,
but they are associated with rooms that might be  The parameters obtained from the literature
closed at most times of the day, therefore cross review are used to analyse courtyards of
ventilation does not seem to be happening. residences located in Trivandrum. For that three
residences are selected and are analysed in terms
2.9.3 Activity zoning in rooms based on heat and of the parameters. There are three levels of
light zoning analysis of these parameters, which includes an
open questionnaire interview of the client and
 More than an immersive experience, the architect, observational study of the live case
courtyard acts as a buffer in various rooms. study and analysis based on conclusion from these
Especially in the bedroom which has a landscaped three layers of data obtained.
court bounded by brick louvers bringing in cool
breezes whilst also being privacy screen 2.10.1 Orientation of courtyards and their openings
controlling views in from the outside. depending upon the microclimate objective
of the designer
2.9.4 Stack Ventilation Effect
 Lack of vegetation on the east-west axis, causing
 Stack ventilation is facilitated on the leeward side intense additional heat to enter the courtyard
of the courtyard, where there are an abundance through the eastern outward openings of the
of openings. house.
 More openings are concentrated on the SE-NW
axis causing lack of effective cross ventilation
through the courtyards.

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 Since there are no water bodies, chances of that open to the courtyard, northern lights don’t
evaporative cooling in the courtyard is negligible. travel through the courtyard side of the room.
Proper drainage is also provided outwards,
therefore water will not get collected in the
courtyard.

Figure 19 Figure 20
Ground Floor First Floor Plan
Plan Source: Source: Author
Author

Figure 15 Figure 16
Ground Floor First Floor Plan 2.10.4 Stack ventilation effect
Plan Source: Source: Author
Author

2.10.2 Cross ventilation

Figure 21 Section BB. Figure 22 Ground Floor

Source: Author Plan Source: Author

 Stack effect is experienced at some times of the

Figure 17 Figure 18 day when the sun’s rays are not incidental
Ground Floor First Floor Plan
Plan Source: Source: Author
 Warm air rises up as it is less dense, which is
Author replaced by cool air.

 Only few openings are positioned in the SW - NE

direction, therefore maximum number of 2.10.5 Orientation of Courtyard
windows are not positioned in the windward
direction. This does not facilitate cross-ventilation
much in the courtyard.
 The openings that are placed in the windward
direction of the courtyard are fixed, hence it does
not support wind flow. This causes discomfort for
the users, making it almost impossible for them to
sit there during day time without any active
cooling techniques.

Figure 23 Ground
2.10.3 Activity zoning in rooms based on heat and Figure 24
Floor Plan Source:
light zoning First Floor Plan
Author
Source: Author
 Fewer vegetative buffers near kitchen, as it is
oriented towards east. During morning, warm
light and heat enters through the kitchen, but it
will be relatively cooler throughout the day. Since  Essentially, courtyards should be placed at an
it is a side courtyard, the spaces cannot be angle of 45 degrees to the wind. This enables
positioned around it completely. positive and negative pressures in rooms aiding to
heat accumulation.
 Bedrooms positioned in the northern side
experience mild and cool northern light. Since  In this case, courtyard is oriented at an angle
there are no windows for bedrooms in the north between 45 - 90 degrees.

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2.10.6 Elongation of Courtyard 2.10.8 Height to Width Ratio

Figure 29 Section
Source: Author Figure 30 Ground
Floor Plan Source:
Author

Figure 25
Figure 26  Courtyards with a height to width ratio less than 1
Ground Floor Plan
Source: Author
First Floor Plan is preferred. Here, the height is 3.5 m and width
Source: Author of the courtyard is 4.46, therefore H/W = 0.78,
which satisfies the ratio.

 Courtyard is oriented in the north-south axis. This 2.10.9 Interiors and Landscape
enables shade in the courtyard. But since it is a
side court, only the the portion which is near to  Use of white paint on walls, with earthy tones to
the double height has more shade, whereas the complement it.
part oriented towards the jali wall has less shade.  White paint reflects light, so it is a good technique
 This causes discomfort for people sitting near the to reduce heat absorption.
jali wall.  Filler slabs are used in the interiors that reduce
 Further, the fact that the house is double storeyed the load of the slab as well as add aesthetic value
also provides more shade in one particular side of to the room.
the courtyard.
2.10.10 Vaasthu Shasthra
 Since it is a side court, the courtyard is not
2.10.7 Size of Openings positioned at the center like the traditional
 The size of openings in the facade are relatively Naalukettu.
larger compared to that of the openings towards  Kitchen and Pooja space are posiitoned in the
the court. Kanni Moola towards the North-East axis.
 Since the window size is smaller towards the
courtyard and most of it is fixed, the court does
not facilitate much cooling in the rooms adjacent
to it. Therefore, this courtyard mostly serves its
purpose for passive lighting rather than a cooling
strategy for the house in a subtropical climatic
condition.
 More illumination towards dining, kitchen and
living areas of the house.

Figure 27
Ground Floor Plan Figure 28
Source: Author First Floor Plan
Source: Author

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2.11 Open Questionnaire Interviews climatically satisfied, hence disproving user

satisfaction.
2.11.1 Client Interview
 Client interview talks about how the user 4 REFERENCES
responds to different aspects of the design i. Cascone, S. (2019). Green roof design: State of the art
elements involved in the courtyard and its on technology and materials. Sustainability
association with the adjacent spaces, which (Switzerland), 11(11).
impact the ventilation and natural lighting of the https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113020
space. ii. Jamei, E., Ossen, D. R., Seyedmahmoudian, M.,
Sandanayake, M., Stojcevski, A., & Horan, B. (2020).
2.11.2 Architect’s Interview Urban design parameters for heat mitigation in tropics.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,
 Architect talks about the thinking and planning 134(August 2019),
process that went behind the courtyard and how 110362.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110362
it aids to ventilation and daylighting.
iii. Max-Neef, M. A. (2005). Foundations of
2.12 Inference transdisciplinarity. In Ecological Economics (Vol. 53,
Issue 1, pp. 5–16). Elsevier.
 An inference was deduced based on user https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.01.014
perception, architect’s interview and the
iv. Perraudeau, M., (1988). Luminance models. In
observation done from live case study.
National Lighting Conference. Cambridge, UK, March
27-30.
3 CONCLUSION v. International Daylight Monitoring Programme,
The study concludes the parameters that do not [Online], Available: http://idmp.entpe.fr/ [16 June
2008].
follow the instructions as per the book are not
Use style “References” to list the references.

Guide Name:Jayaprakash V N

Signature:
Date: 21-10-24

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