Inadequate thermal conditions in social housing projects (SHP), combined with global warming, increased frequency of heatwaves, and energy poverty, intensify health problems related to thermal stress. Addressing this issue involves exploring microclimate-improving solutions, such as courtyard buildings. Current research mainly focuses on fully enclosed courtyards, with limited analysis of their use in SHP. This study aims to assess the thermal benefits of courtyard building types on the microclimate and evaluate their suitability for social housing. Microclimatic simulations using ENVI-met analyzed courtyard buildings with heights of 14 and 29 m and ground-floor openings. The results show that during heatwaves, periods of extreme thermal stress were reduced, with PET decreases reaching up to − 11.7 K, while nighttime increases remained minor. On non-heatwave days, courtyard buildings lowered daytime heat stress and decreased nighttime cold stress. Vertical temperature profile analysis revealed that ground-floor openings improved ventilation and decreased heat buildup at that level, while mid-level floors experienced higher heat concentration due to limited sky exposure and reduced wind speed. These findings support the use of courtyard buildings in SHP and highlight the thermal benefits of ground-floor openings, including improved ventilation and reduced health-related hazards for occupants.
Apolinário et al. (2026) studied this question.