Courtyard orientation and geometry impact on energy consumption and behavior of light in Traditional desert architecture of Iran (Case study: Toon city)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Afsaneh Ghalehnovi ¹

Mina Moayyedi ²

¹ Department of Architecture, Khorasan Institute of Higher Education

² Master of Architecture, Mashhad, Iran

10.22067/context.2025.95076.1024

Abstract

Central courtyards are key elements of traditional desert architecture and play an important role in improving the microclimate as well as enhancing thermal and visual comfort. Although numerous studies have examined the role of central courtyards in improving either thermal comfort or daylight performance, most research tends to focus on one of these aspects, with fewer studies analyzing both dimensions simultaneously. Against this backdrop, the present study investigates how the geometry and orientation of central courtyards influence energy consumption and visual comfort in residential buildings located in semi-arid and desert climates.
To achieve this, ten historical houses from the Safavid and Qajar periods in the city of Toon were simulated, evaluating two courtyard orientations northeast–southwest and northwest–southeast alongside various courtyard proportions (1:1, 1:1.2, 1:1.3, and 1:1.4). The results indicate that square courtyards (1:1) with northeast–southwest orientation exhibit the lowest energy consumption. In terms of daylighting, elongated courtyards (1:1.4) provide up to 92% annual daylight sufficiency at the 300 lux level; however, based on direct sunlight exposure and glare-control autonomy indices, they also increase the likelihood of glare. Overall, orientation has a greater impact on energy consumption than on daylight performance, with northeast–southwest houses outperforming those with northwest–southeast orientation. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing courtyard proportions and orientation to enhance energy efficiency and visual comfort in contemporary desert housing design.

Keywords

Central courtyard

Thermal comfort

Energy consumption

Visual comfort

Semi-arid climate

Subjects

• Context-oriented architecture and urban planning

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