Courtyards are receiving increased research attention due to their potential to moderate outdoor microclimates adjacent to buildings. Scholars have used various methods to analyse the environmental function of the courtyard. Nevertheless, efforts to examine design variants and their interplay in different climate zones is limited. This paper presents a thorough examination of prior research on how outdoor courtyard design factors impact microclimate performance in various climates. Determinant variables such as courtyard geometry, orientation, surface materials and natural elements like vegetation and water features were reviewed and analysed to identify their influence on the shading, natural ventilation and outdoor thermal comfort of courtyards. This review identifies and highlights research gaps concerning the effect of design variables on outdoor microclimate performance in different climate zones. The outcomes have the potential to be of immense value to both researchers and urban planners, serving as a guide for current designs and future research.
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Liu et al. (2024) studied this question.