Eighth International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Courtyard House had developed and preserved an outstanding position among history all over the world. It had been considered as a typical model of standardization of vernacular architecture in ancient architecture society. This paper summarizes the typical characteristics of a courtyard, including orientation, structure, and layout. The paper will review the energy benefits of a courtyard in different climates (Cold–Temperate/Mid-Hot) from different historical periods. The main aim is to show if the courtyard design form can reduce energy demand and CO2 emissions which are generally considered to be the key core of climate change. Results will extract key features from courtyard design that can be used to achieve a high level of low-energy design.