Impact of Courtyard Concept on Energy Efficiency and Home Privacy in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The aim of this research is to develop an architectural style commensurate with the requirements of residential buildings in the hot and dry climate of Najran. The courtyard concept is one of the most important passive design strategies most in tune with the desert climate. The courtyard concept also meets the sociocultural requirements of the region. The success of this strategy can be verified by selecting a typical residential unit (villa) and assessing its indoor environmental conditions and energy performance. The villa can then be redesigned with the same functional and spatial determinants while creating a courtyard at the heart of the new villa configuration. To determine the level of improvement resulting from the proposed solution, the energy consumption per square meter is measured, and the results are compared with the DesignBuilder simulation program. The results indicate that with the proposed design focused mainly on the courtyard and some passive design strategies, the total energy consumption is reduced by 32.80% compared to the base case. The research concludes with a set of recommendations related to opportunities to improve the quality of the indoor environment and reduce cooling energy demand, in addition to achieving privacy for occupants and meeting the sociocultural requirements in the context of preserving Islamic values.