The Courtyard as a Climate Device
The central courtyard of the Iranian house is more than a beautiful space; it is a controlled microclimate that can be designed with precision.
In the traditional houses of Kashan and Yazd, the courtyard is the heart of the home. Yet its climatic role is often overlooked.
Proportions matter
The ratio of courtyard width to wall height determines how much sun reaches the floor. Desert courtyards are deep and narrow so they stay shaded most of the day, while those in Tabriz are more open to catch winter sun.
A good courtyard holds the night air until noon the next day.
Water and planting
Pools and trees lower the courtyard air temperature by several degrees through evaporation. A sunken garden, by dropping into the ground, gets closer to the coolness of the earth.
In our current work we test courtyards with thermal simulation, turning this empirical knowledge into numbers and drawings.
