Optimising courtyard housing design for solar radiation within dense urban environments.

The potential of energy-conscious traditional design of dwellings has been
recognised with its direct and sometimes sophisticated response to local climatic
conditions in recent years. Courtyard forms, which provide heat, light,
ventilation and other functions for buildings surrounding it, are found in many
high density urban environments around the world.
This current study focuses on one of the solutions which can contribute to
embodying the energy-conscious tradition. As an issue of how buildings
respond to the different climate arises on a global scale, emphasis is placed on
regional urban courtyard housing, for which design proposals are made, with
special reference to Seoul, Korea (latitude 37.34° N). Apart from acting as
climatic modifiers through solar access, courtyard housing forms can offer spatial
and visual amenities to otherwise monotonous urban plan buildings.
The aim of this study is to gain an understanding of the relationship
between courtyard design and solar radiation in a densely built housing
development. The parametric study examines the possibilities of varying
housing layout factors in courtyard design, such as housing density, plot
dimension, housing development scale and housing orientation, thereby
suggesting guidelines for suitable ranges of the design parameters of courtyard
housing. By these means, a density objective in urban area can be achieved with
certain parameters with a potential to form energy-conscious courtyard design.
Solutions for optimising the use of solar energy in courtyard housing
layout in future housing development are categorised into (1) efficient layout
planning, which include the range of optimum use of the housing layout factors
and storey height under land use policy, and (2) passive courtyard housing form,
which respond to urban housing layouts. Implications of the design strategies
for planners, designers and local authorities are then outlined, including design
guidelines.