Abstract Courtyard buildings are a significant form of vernacular architecture that may be found all over the world in various temperate zones. The potential of courtyard structures to improve passive environmental management has long been acknowledged, especially in hot and dry areas. However, in courtyard buildings, the interior air warms up and rises over the day, drawing cooler air from the surrounding rooms or lower levels. Particularly in crowded urban areas with little exposure to the wind, small or narrow courtyards might impede airflow. In such buildings, wind-catching roof design can improve comfort and ventilation. In this research study, a courtyard building with different design modifications for wind-catching components is taken into consideration. The ventilation performance of the building under various design considerations on roof wind catching element is studied through computational fluid dynamics technique (CFD). Grid sensitivity analysis and validation of CFD simulation are also carried out to guarantee the accuracy of CFD simulated results. In the pitched roof of the courtyard building, an open is made between wind ward and leeward roof. Design modification is made in leeward roof length, roof angle, roof shape, and courtyard wall. On courtyard buildings, adding a roof wind-catching device doubles the average indoor air velocity compared to a closed roof. An extended leeward gabled roof on a courtyard building enhances interior comfort and ventilation.
Prakash et al. (Fri,) studied this question.