Shading or ventilation: optimal design for enhancing thermal comfort in university courtyards in hot and humid regions

Courtyard buildings in hot and humid areas require improvements in thermal comfort to enhance outdoor usability. Climate-adaptive building design strategies can effectively reduce energy consumption and improve thermal comfort. Therefore, this paper investigates the effects of building design factors on outdoor thermal comfort through field measurements. It focuses on the contribution rates of four design factors: overhead ratio, aspect ratio, orientation of courtyard opening, and reflectance of ground material, to compare the significance of shading and ventilation in enhancing thermal comfort in courtyard buildings in humid and hot regions, using ENVI-met simulations. A time-sequential research program is employed to evaluate the climate adaptability of different design strategies during four summer periods. Results showed that the orientation of the courtyard opening has the most significant impact, contributing up to 97%. The interactions among the factors also show a notable influence. Open courtyards benefit more from shading, whereas enclosed courtyards should prioritize ventilation. The optimal design strategy for each courtyard type reduced PET by 15.6 degrees C compared to the worst. This study provides a theoretical reference for improving thermal comfort in courtyard buildings.