Page 24 - JCAU-7-3

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Natural ventilation in courtyard dwellings

climatic conditions and in buildings occupied by residents. Large, uncovered courtyards promote air circulation,
Several studies carried out in climatic regions comparable whereas small, enclosed courtyards tend to trap heat and
to Inner Mongolia—such as those by Etheridge (2015)— restrict airflow.
offer important lessons on optimizing natural ventilation Table 1 presents the keywords identified in the reviewed
in courtyard-style buildings. studies, enabling a quick assessment of the focus areas

Field investigations have confirmed that building explored in the literature.
layout, along with the size and placement of courtyards Table 2 summarizes the main findings and
and other spatial elements, significantly influences natural methodologies of selected studies reviewed in this article.
ventilation. For instance, field research by Huang et al.
(2015) revealed that buildings with centrally located This research began with a comprehensive review
courtyards exhibited superior airflow compared to those and classification of existing literature on courtyard-
with courtyards located toward the periphery. The study style houses and natural ventilation (Figure 4). Thematic
also underscored that windows facing uphill slopes analysis was then employed to extract key findings—such
benefitted from enhanced wind exposure, promoting as the importance of orientation and thermal comfort
natural ventilation and eliminating the need for mechanical strategies. Finally, conclusions were drawn, and practical
cooling during the summer. suggestions were proposed to inform contemporary
sustainable architectural practices.
In another study, Omrani et al. (2017) conducted field
measurements on a courtyard house in Gansu province, 2.6. Long-term performance and occupant feedback
China, to evaluate its thermal response and ventilation Long-term monitoring and user-based evaluation are
performance. The findings indicated that courtyard important for assessing the practical effectiveness of
arrangement and size had a direct influence on the courtyard dwellings, complementing insights gained from
ventilation performance, with north-facing courtyards CFD simulations and short-term field measurements.
achieving optimal ventilation under fair summer weather Previous studies conducted in northern Chinese regions
conditions. These results are especially relevant for Inner such as Gansu and Sichuan have applied post-occupancy
Mongolia, where courtyard-style dwellings share similar evaluation to assess thermal comfort, energy usage, and
spatial organizations and face comparable environmental ventilation efficiency across different seasons (Chi et al.,
conditions. 2020). These studies found that traditional courtyard-
2.5. Design considerations for enhancing natural style homes consistently reduced the need for mechanical
ventilation in Inner Mongolia heating and cooling by 20 – 35% annually. Occupant
surveys conducted over 12-month periods revealed
This article highlights that, due to Inner Mongolia’s distinct a preference for natural ventilation strategies during
climatic conditions, specific design approaches must be transitional seasons (spring and autumn). However, users
taken to facilitate effective natural ventilation in residential also reported discomfort due to cold draughts in winter
buildings. Characterized by hot summers and cold winters, and heat accumulation in sealed courtyards during peak
the region demands bi-climatic design approaches that summer months. These experiences highlighted the
address both cooling and heating needs. Yu et al. (2016) need for adaptive features such as operable skylights,
observed that the residential structures in this region
tend to be efficient and structurally rigid. Nevertheless, Table 1. Keywords in the study
the flexible and complex layouts of courtyard houses offer
promising opportunities to enhance natural ventilation— Study focus Keywords
provided there is a thorough understanding of wind Natural ventilation in Natural ventilation, courtyard architecture,
direction, daily and seasonal temperature variations, and courtyard housing airflow optimization
humidity levels. Computational fluid CFD simulation, airflow modeling, wind
dynamics (CFD) direction analysis, ventilation performance
A prominent aspect that is often considered during Empirical validation Field measurement, case study analysis,
architectural and engineering design is the orientation vegetation impact, adjacent structure
of the courtyards relative to prevailing wind patterns. influence
Aligning buildings with the prominent wind direction can Sustainable design Energy efficiency, thermal comfort, passive
significantly enhance the ventilation in a room and hence cooling, renewable architecture
increase the quality of air indoors (Wang & Malkawi, 2019). Climate adaptation Seasonal climate adaptation, stack
However, courtyard attributes—such as size and shape— strategies effect, cross ventilation, regional climate
also significantly influence natural ventilation efficiency. considerations

Volume 7 Issue 3 (2025) 6 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.7226