Courtyard design for energy efficiency and thermal comfort: machine learning insights across hot and warm climates.

ABSTRACT: Courtyards, long used as a passive climate-control element in vernacular housing, are increasingly reinterpreted in modern residential design, yet their quantified impact on energy use and comfort remains poorly documented. This study investigates how courtyard design affects energy efficiency and thermal comfort in villas across five hot and warm climates: Cairo, Riyadh, Gizan, Miami, and Sevilla. Using nearly 29,000 parametric simulations, design variables (geometry, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), glazing, insulation, and orientation) were systematically tested. Random Forest models achieved R² > 0.99 for both annual cooling demand and discomfort hours, with Shapley Additive explanations (SHAP) analysis revealing variable importance. Results show that compact courtyards with low

SUBMITTER: Aloshan MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12701073 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature