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Binka Zhelyazkova's film The Last Word (1973) contains numerous liminal spaces: the prison building and its adjacent courtyard, for example, but also the cell itself, where the gloomy prison atmosphere clashes with Lika Yanko's naively surrealist murals. Quite a few shots in the film draw attention to the architecture of the prison -- the vault of the gates, the courtyard, the tower as well as the interior -- the staircase, the cell itself, the floors of the central tower, etc. These spaces probably contain many implicit visual references, for example to Piranesi's Imaginary Prisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iranian traditional residential architecture is renowned for its central-courtyard houses, which are admired for their grandeur. While the courtyards and nearby spaces receive considerable artistic and historical appreciation, those situated further away often receive less attention. These areas are typically considered auxiliary and less functional for living, thereby receiving limited attention in architectural discussions. This study examines 26 traditional central-courtyard houses to investigate how spaces located farther from the courtyard ('second-order') compare to those directly adjacent ('first-order'). It challenges the assumption that distance from the courtyard correlates with reduced functionality. Surprisingly, the analysis identifies similar architectural characteristics in both second-order and first-order spaces, suggesting that distant areas may serve functional roles comparable to those nearer the courtyard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of vegetation in enhancing thermal comfort and achieving energy savings in educational building courtyards located in hot, arid climates. The research focuses on an educational building courtyard in New Aswan City, Egypt, and employs a combination of field monitoring and numerical simulations to evaluate the thermal performance of the space. The study utilized the ENVI-met V5.5.1 model for thermal assessment and the Design-Builder software version 6.1.3.007 to quantify the potential energy savings. Nine different vegetation scenarios were proposed and analyzed to identify the most effective strategies for improving the courtyard's thermal conditions. The results demonstrate that a 60% coverage of the courtyard with Cassia Nodosa vegetation produced the most significant improvements. This scenario led to a decrease of over 25.4 °C in physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and a reduction of more than 31.3 °C in mean radiant temperature (Tmrt). Moreover, the energy savings achieved were approximately 19.2%. Interestingly, the study also observed an unexpected decrease in the temperature mitigation efficacy of Ficus nitida when vegetation coverage was increased from 40% to 60%. This phenomenon can be attributed to the complex interplay between the inherent characteristics of the Ficus nitida species and the microclimatic factors within the courtyard environment. These findings provide valuable insights for designers and architects to integrate effective vegetation strategies into the design of educational building courtyards in hot, arid climates. By enhancing thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption, this approach can contribute to the creation of more sustainable and comfortable learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, students' overall satisfaction with their educational experience was typically measured using a single question or a straightforward 'yes' or 'no' response. However, this approach might not capture their complete assessment of other aspects of satisfaction. The design of School Courtyard is expected to be one of these aspects, and it will be the subject of this quantitative research. To gather the data, a self-administered survey was made available to a sample of secondary school students from two private schools. To investigate and validate the connection between School Courtyard Design, Courtyard Suitability and Courtyard Attractiveness with Students' Satisfaction, three hypotheses were developed. To evaluate the viability of the developed hypotheses, software namely SPSS (Statistical Package for Science Software) was used to carry out several tests, including regression analysis and correlation coefficient. The results showed a high relationship significance between the School Courtyard Design and Students' Satisfaction with a chance of 37.5%. Student satisfaction can be predicted also by Courtyard Suitability with a 22.9% chance. Finally, Students' Satisfaction can be additionally predicted by the Courtyard Attractiveness with a 24.7% chance. The research reveals the courtyard design needs, enhancing student satisfaction and academic performance, benefiting architects, experts, and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing climate-adaptive buildings is crucial for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change by enhancing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, such designs improve thermal comfort and resilience in urban environments, particularly in regions with extreme climates, thereby promoting sustainable living conditions. This study aims to mitigate climate change through strategic urban and building design, focusing on the impact of building geometry and courtyard configurations on enhancing microclimates and thermal comfort in the UAE's hot arid climate. Utilizing ENVI-met software for qualitative analysis, the research examines design modifications in a school building's layout and courtyards. The analysis and findings reveal that strategic alterations can reduce outdoor air temperatures by up to 1.45°C and average building temperatures by approximately 1.89°C. Additionally, these modifications significantly improve thermal comfort perceptions on the PMV scale. The findings underscore the potential of architectural design to contribute to climate change mitigation efforts, highlighting the importance of thoughtful building and courtyard designs in promoting sustainable architecture and urban planning. This study offers novel insights into the role of design in enhancing thermal environments, providing a practical approach for developing climate-adaptive buildings in hot, dry environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The period between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries in Old Dongola, Sudan, marks a significant political and religious transition. The Makurian kingdom collapsed, and in the sixteenth century, the city became subordinate to the Funj Sultanate. Simultaneously, domestic architecture exhibited a high level of uniformity, with urban space dominated by two-room houses clustered in compounds with a shared courtyard. In these transformative conditions, the seeming persistence of household requires explanation. This paper examines residues of human actions, applying a multielemental analysis of domestic floors of four house compounds dated from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century. It allowed us to understand domestic space in intensive terms, as created by everyday domestic activities. The analysis of macro- and micro-residues resulted in the identification of various ways particular households engaged with domestic space. In this study, the role of heterogeneous domestic space played in the persistence and changeability of households was discussed, particularly how the striated residential units coded relations of dwellers, while the smooth open spaces had creative potential. Lastly, it is proposed that the temporality of households did not align with the temporality of the political changes in the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Beijing University of Civil Engineering & Architecture is the property of Journal of Beijing University of Civil Engineering & Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The selection of viewpoints is a crucial aspect in conducting visual impact assessments of architectural heritage. To address this issue, a quantitative viewpoint selection method based on GIS spatial analysis is proposed. The first step involves defining the factors that influence the selection of viewpoints for architectural heritage. Next, the city's historical architectural areas are divided into units based on courtyards. Subsequently, a candidate set of viewpoints is constructed by extracting the skeleton lines and characteristic points of sub-regions. Finally, following the principles of viewpoint selection, the method achieves the selection of viewpoints for the visual impact assessment of architectural heritage. The Forbidden City is chosen as the practical area for implementation, and the results demonstrate that the viewshed coverage range in the architectural heritage area is as high as 96%. It represents that this approach for visual impact assessments of architectural heritage is more grounded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban transformation in the postsocialist Global East was heavily determined by the mass privatization of state assets and by a dramatic increase in car ownership. Tbilisi, Georgia, has experienced these significant changes. The upsurge in private vehicle ownership was brought about by failing public transit, ineffective planning, suspended vehicle quality control and greater individualism. The problem has been exacerbated on two fronts in Tbilisi: new buildings built since the 1990s are now consuming former open spaces, while more people seek parking for their cars in the few crowded remaining areas leading to competition for parking space. Households of residential buildings are devising strategies for guarding nearby areas suitable for parking, while non-driving residents are at a loss to use these formerly open spaces for other purposes. Barriers are installed by the car-owning residents of apartment blocks to impose the primary function of parking to shared residential courtyards, an understudied communal space, turning them into part of the city's automobility system. The article relies on data from in-depth interviews with city officials and residents of affected areas, policy documents and field observations from the districts of Tbilisi most affected by such change. It argues that the changes started with the privatization of urban space and followed by an increase in the dominance of the automobile in Tbilisi have led to the rapid modification and deterioration of collective areas of multistory apartment blocks and created factors that are transforming courtyards from leisure space into the part of Tbilisi's automobility system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor wind conditions in metropolitan areas can result in inadequate ventilation and degradation of the thermal environment. Several researches have demonstrated that the building ground floor elevation (BGFE) enhances the wind conditions surrounding buildings. Further investigation is required to thoroughly examine the BGFE's impact on the wind conditions in the courtyard area. We researched how the various overhead placements affect the ventilation of a U-shaped school building's courtyard space in different wind directions. We performed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation experiments on 93 overhead scenarios based on field measurements and validation. The statistical analysis of the experimental data revealed that the BGFE had significant effects on reducing the mean air age (p < 0.001), standard deviation of air age (p < 0.01), standard deviation of wind speed (p < 0.001), and mean wind speed (p < 0.01) in the courtyard space. The BGFE in the northeastern zone of the U-shaped school building significantly increased the mean air age (p < 0.05), while the BGFE in the middle and southwestern zones significantly decreased the mean air age (p < 0.001), and the BGFE in the southeastern zone significantly decreased the mean wind speed (p < 0.05). The BGFE facilitates the entry of fresh air and offers even ventilation while significantly reducing wind speed. Choose sites C and D to enhance the U-shaped courtyard's ventilation and avoid locations B and E. This paper's findings provide theoretical guidance for designing the elevation of courtyard space from a ventilation perspective and for the green rehabilitation of existing buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Librosdelacorte.es is the property of Instituto Universitario "La Corte en Europa" - IULCE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigates the role of vegetation in enhancing thermal comfort and achieving energy savings in educational building courtyards located in hot, arid climates. The research focuses on an educational building courtyard in New Aswan City, Egypt, and employs a combination of field monitoring and numerical simulations to evaluate the thermal performance of the space. The study utilized the ENVI-met V5.5.1 model for thermal assessment and the Design-Builder software version 6.1.3.007 to quantify the potential energy savings. Nine different vegetation scenarios were proposed and analyzed to identify the most effective strategies for improving the courtyard’s thermal conditions. The results demonstrate that a 60% coverage of the courtyard with Cassia Nodosa vegetation produced the most significant improvements. This scenario led to a decrease of over 25.4 °C in physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and a reduction of more than 31.3 °C in mean radiant temperature (Tmrt). Moreover, the energy savings achieved were approximately 19.2%. Interestingly, the study also observed an unexpected decrease in the temperature mitigation efficacy of Ficus nitida when vegetation coverage was increased from 40% to 60%. This phenomenon can be attributed to the complex interplay between the inherent characteristics of the Ficus nitida species and the microclimatic factors within the courtyard environment. These findings provide valuable insights for designers and architects to integrate effective vegetation strategies into the design of educational building courtyards in hot, arid climates. By enhancing thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption, this approach can contribute to the creation of more sustainable and comfortable learning environments.

This paper investigates the Uffizi folio 698 Orn., which contains a drawing of vases on the recto and a project for two windows on the verso. The material features of the support, the techniques of representation and the state of conservation are described. The subjects of the drawings, their attribution to Bernardo Buontalenti and dating are also discussed. The analysis focuses in particular on the verso, proposing for the first time its identification with a project by the architect for the first and ground floor windows of the central courtyard of the Casino Mediceo in Florence. Furthermore, the dating of the drawing is hypothesised in relation to its graphic style and the construction process of the building. The aim is to divulge this precious document, which testifies the work carried out by Buontalenti at San Marco both as an artistic advisor for the Grand Ducal art laboratories and as an architect. He is in fact the author of the final definition of the windows, real 'manifestos' of his architectural conception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vernacular architecture is termed an 'anonymous', ' spontaneous', ' rural', and indigenous form of architecture and which is influenced by culture, geography, climate, and ethnic factors. However, defining 'vernacular' is always a difficult task as definitions have variations with respect to context and time. Although research has been conducted globally on vernacular architectural styles and their characteristics, defining a specific vernacular style remains challenging. This research attempts to define vernacular architecture using its characteristics through a comprehensive literature review, followed by an expert survey. The research also aims to delineate vernacular courtyard house typologies by identifying their distinguishing features. The survey was conducted among experts in the field of architecture and is used to define the characteristics of vernacular architecture, and validated the established vernacular courtyard residence categories in Kerala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional residential courtyard is the key and difficult point of Beijing old city conservation. Although urban conservation practices have been widely conducted, the landscape, environment and living condition are still generally backward. It is urgent to explore the operation mechanism of conservation practices and understand the logical relationship between conservation actions and practical results, so as to improve the effect of the conservation practices. Therefore, this study takes the renovation project of traditional residential courtyard in Yuer Hutong as an example and constructs the analysis framework of urban conservation practice mechanism of process analysis, effect evaluation and cause reflection from the perspective of multi-participation. The study finds that the willingness and ability to participate in the conservation practice of stakeholder, and target setting, process design and mechanism guarantee of the conservation practice impact the effect of the conservation practice. The study thus proposes strategic suggestions on the conservation practice of traditional residential courtyard in Beijing, which provides elaborate design references for operation mechanism of multi-participation conservation practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The campus courtyards in the Lingnan area are commonly used spaces. Therefore, their thermal comfort is highly important for improving user satisfaction. This study conducted field research on 18 courtyards in four universities in Lingnan to explore the effects of their architectural design factors on the thermal environment. Relevant studies have proved that courtyards are cost-effective in microclimate regulation, and individual factors such as the scale and openness of the courtyards have also been shown to have an effect on the thermal comfort of the courtyards. This study synthesizes multidimensional architectural design factors to explore and analyze the thermal environments of college courtyards. Physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) is selected as the thermal comfort evaluation index for the study and the conclusions are as follows: (1) The thermal environment is the most important factor influencing visitors to the courtyards (22%), and good thermal comfort improves the efficiency of using the college courtyards; (2) the courtyards have a positive microclimate regulating function, and a cooling effect occurs in 80% of them; and (3) the floor location, type, orientation, and sky view factor (SVF) of the courtyards are the main design factors affecting the thermal environment and PET. The first three factors were negatively correlated with PET (p < 0.05),and SVF was positively correlated with PET (p = 0.651). Passive courtyard design strategies are presented based on the findings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the effects of climate change and urbanisation intensify, liveability and comfort in outdoor spaces decrease. Because of large spaces exposed to solar radiation and low crossing of airflows, courtyard buildings are extremely vulnerable in this regard. However, there are significant gaps in the literature on outdoor comfort in courtyards, especially regarding the effect of border configuration (including gap position and features), as well that of tree density. The study proposes a methodology—to be used during preliminary design—to compare the effect of alternative scenarios for courtyard buildings on outdoor microclimate, varying both the building perimeter configuration and courtyard vegetation layout. A matrix is set to combine the two variables and select relevant scenarios, which are then simulated in ENVI-met focusing on air temperature, wind speed and physiological equivalent temperature (PET). A case study in Bologna, Italy (humid subtropical climate) is presented as an example of the implementation. The resulting outdoor microclimate maps and frequency diagrams are compared and discussed. It emerges that both variables have a role in outdoor comfort: while gap configuration affects air temperature more (up to a difference of 1 °C), tree density impacts PET by up to 2 °C difference. The methodology can be replicated in several other contexts to support the optimisation of courtyard building design from the early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the rapid urbanization and housing demands, there has been a shift from traditional courtyards to multi-story city structures. Unfortunately, this transition can significantly affect the local climate and overall comfort due to increased heat. To overcome these challenges, our proposed approach suggests implementing multi-objective optimization techniques to strike a balance between various competing goals. These goals may encompass outdoor thermal comfort, energy efficiency, and urban sustainability when designing urban courtyard blocks. This study has many potential benefits for sustainable living and aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like Energy Efficiency (SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities) and Good Health - Well-being (SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being). The outcomes from this paper will help reduce the effects of climate change by making a positive contribution to sustainable development. This research aims to anticipate the cooling load per unit area (cooling/m2) of buildings in hot arid zones based on building features such as overall height, orientation, and other considerations of buildings. The deep learning algorithms used are MLP Regressor, RNN LSTM, and RBFN. This research aims to create a model to properly forecast cooling load per unit area and provide insights into the best building design for lowering cooling loads in hot arid zones. RBFN outperformed MLP Regressors and RNN LSTM in forecasting cooling rates in urban courtyard blocks, according to the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Providing thermal comfort in the courtyards of academic buildings is important and increasing tree canopy coverage (TCC) presents a convenient and feasible method to achieve this; however, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the cooling effects of TCC, considering both outdoor thermal comfort and heat dynamics. In this study, we selected two typical academic buildings at Guangzhou University, each with courtyards having different height-to-width ratios (H/W ratios). We employed both field measurements and ENVI-met-based numerical models to simulate scenarios with varying TCCs. The results demonstrated that the cooling effects caused by arranging trees increase with the TCC values. During the hottest hours of the day, trees arranged in courtyards with high H/W ratios exhibited a superior cooling effect compared to those in courtyards with low H/W ratios, with a difference of up to 0.6 °C in the PET (physiological equivalent temperature); however, over the entire daytime, the total sensible heat reduction achieved by trees in courtyards with low H/W ratios surpassed that of courtyards with high H/W ratios, with a difference of up to 0.25 × 104 J/m2. Our findings underscore the crucial role of TCC in enhancing cooling in the courtyard of academic buildings, with important implications for university planning and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As clan and blood relations are the essential core of rural social attributes, the rise and fall of the main family names in a village not only affects the spatial arrangement of their internal courtyard houses but also influences the overall spatial pattern of the village. Taking Pei Cheng Village as an example, in this study, quantitative analyses, such as those entailing standard deviation ellipse, kernel density, and space syntax, are incorporated to investigate the changes in rural family names' courtyard houses and the historical context for these changes to reveal the influence of the evolution of courtyard house distribution under a given social structure on the overall spatial structure of the countryside at the micro- and meso-scales. The results in this study show that there is strong aggregation and bonding associated with the main family surname in a village and that such surnames have an important correlation with the village centre and spatial structure formation. Notably, the distribution of the surname-bearing clan courtyard houses has a certain degree of consistency with the spatial pattern of the village, with the main space corresponding to the main family surname, the secondary space corresponding to the secondary family, and the underdeveloped space corresponding to mixed family surnames. On this basis, the spatial system grading of Pei Cheng Village is summarized, providing a fundamental basis for future planning of Pei Cheng Village facilities and other aspects of planning, such as the selection of locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lasem, a city of a thousand gates often referred to as "Petit Chinois" by foreign tourists, possesses extraordinary historical heritage as the former capital, making it a Heritage City. This is one of the reasons for choosing Lasem as a research study location. This article contributes by identifying typical spatial patterns in Lasem. In this study, the focus of observation is Chinese settlements located in Babagan Village, Soditan Village, Karangturi Village, and Gedongmulyo Village, where these areas are the locations for the development of Chinese settlements in Lasem. This paper aims to understand the development of the typology of Chinese residential courtyards in Lasem and their survival to the present day, so that they can become part of the national cultural heritage. The research method used is descriptive qualitative, involving literature studies, field surveys, and analysis using graph access. The results found that the typology of the morphological floor plans of the Chinese settlement houses in Lasem differs in accessgraphy from their country of origin. Courtyards, which serve as building shafts in their home country, are not found in the houses of the Lasem Chinese settlements. The courtyards in the Chinese settlements of Lasem are precisely positioned around the main building. The uniqueness of the typology of the Chinese settlement courtyards in Lasem is the result of the space occupied by humans to survive and the community's attachment to their place of residence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, the Croatian Conservation Institute conducted multidisciplinary conservation-restauration and archaeological research in the northern courtyard of Banski dvori Palace to determine the layers of historical development. The results confirmed the continuity of settlement of the Zagreb upper town plateau from prehistoric times to the present day, and served as a basis for the development of project-technical documentation required for the complete restoration of the Government of the Republic of Croatia building damaged by the 2020 earthquake. During the excavations, remains of a subterranean timber-framed structure were documented. Based on the archaeological finds and context it can be interpreted as the underground storage room of a medieval urban house dated to the period of 13th and 14th century. A total of 1464 plant macrofossils were isolated by archaeobotanical analysis, of which six were carbonized and some of remains were just partially mineralized. The majority of the finds (95%) represent woody edible species with the highest number of finds being grapevine (Vitis vinifera), sweet/sour cherry (Prunus avium/cerasus), and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). Some woody species such as grapevine and peach (Prunus persica) were certainly cultivated, while others like Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) and blackthorn are evidence that the population collected fruits from nature. Edible herbaceous species accounted for 2.12% of the finds, included cucumber (Cucumis sativus), spice fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), cereals millet (Panicum miliaceum) and common wheat (Triticum aestivum/durum). More than 40% of the remains were found in five vessels, while the rest were from the surrounding sediment. All vessels contained grapevine and wild apples/pears, and fruits such as sweet/sour cherry, blackberry and plum were also found, leading to the assumption that the vessels contained the commonly used medieval beverage made from unripe fruit, known as verjuice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of residential buildings in old urban areas of Beijing is known to be inconsistent, prompting numerous urban renewal projects in the city. This research investigates how building space impacts energy usage and daylighting in courtyard areas of old urban regions in northern China. It also proposes a quick evaluation method for building performance in courtyard spaces, utilizing multi-objective optimization and machine learning classification prediction as a theoretical framework. A study was conducted to gather and organize building space parameters and their corresponding performances using a genetic algorithm. The dataset was then pre-processed and trained using the LightGBM algorithm. The model validation results revealed a recall of 0.9 and an F1-score of 0.8. These scores indicate that the design scheme's performance level can be accurately identified in practical use. The goal of this study is to propose a set of rapid assessment methods for building performance levels in courtyard spaces. These methods can significantly improve the feedback efficiency between design decision and performance assessment, reduce the time wasted in building performance simulation during the architectural design process, and avoid unreasonable renovation and addition in urban renewal. Furthermore, the research method has universality and can be applied to courtyard-shaped buildings in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Lingnan gardens are important carriers of regional culture which contain basic relationships between traditional culture and architectural elements. The study of them is an effective way of developing contemporary architectural design. Up to now, most existing theoretical studies of them focus on conceptual and experiential analysis. Architectural typology offers a new theoretical basis and platform for research in this field. Traditional Lingnan gardens combine courtyard chains and gardens with landscape value. This study deals with the elements of courtyard chains and the type of their combinations, and analyzes the logic of spatial order in traditional Lingnan gardens, thus providing a support of deducing the new spatial image of Lingnan gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The function of the enigmatic Middle Bronze Age Courtyard Complexes at Shechem has remained at the forefront of debate concerning the courtyard palace form. Shechem's excavators have been unable to agree on the function of the Courtyard Complexes, with some viewing them as palaces and others as temples. Since the only detailed analysis of the Shechem Courtyard Complexes occurred almost four decades ago (Toombs 1985), a reassessment of the material is overdue. An analysis of the Phase 902 Courtyard Complex, the best preserved of the five sequential complexes, supports its architectural association with the courtyard palace form (Oren 1992), while also highlighting a commemorative function, centered around housing and honoring the deceased elite and administering the ancestral funerary cult. Moreover, a functional link with the later Migdol temple and standing stones suggests at least a partial transference of function to this new, and possibly introduced, temple form in the later Middle Bronze Age. Therefore, the Shechem Courtyard Complexes are to be associated with the courtyard palace form, along with a primarily funerary/commemorative function and are perhaps better viewed as elite funerary complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The protection and development of castle courtyards in historical cities pose complex conservation challenges. This complexity arises from the need to reconcile the historical form of courtyards, often known only through relics, with contemporary and expanded functional needs. The aim of this article is to critically analyze selected concepts for the modern development of castle courtyards. The research material consisted of contemporary implementations in the development of castle courtyards in European cities, including 36 complexes. The criterion for selecting these objects was their location, closely tied to the spatial structure of the city. Another condition for choosing the analyzed examples was the form and scope of courtyard adaptation to various functions. Based on the conducted analysis, the authors of the article formulated conclusions regarding the conservation-oriented development of castle courtyards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its medieval origins (1423), the city of Łódź is young. It flourished as an important industrial center in the nineteenth century, becoming the second largest city in Poland in the twentieth. Its "American" plan with one main street and districts developing around factories is unusual in Poland and leaves little room for city squares and public space. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Łódź has been trying to create more shared areas because they underwent far-reaching degradation after the transformatio of 1989 and the economic crisis of the 1990s. Nowadays, however, these areas are being revitalized. There are many competitions and projects concerning both the rehabilitation of existing city squares and the creation of new ones. However, the term "city square" has largely lost its original, traditional meaning, with "square" now covering a variety of open spaces, ranging from pedestrian streets to courtyards. The article discusses selected examples of municipal and private investments in squares, streets and parks. Despite the positive reception of these urban changes, the "renewal" of the city is criticized by specialists and considered controversial. The article attempts to analyze these solutions in terms of urban planning as well as urban landscape and ecology, also venturing to gauge whether such solutions can be considered modern and adequate to the requirements of twenty-first-century urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Courtyard” is one of the ancient domestic identity patterns of Iranian architecture in most of the traditional houses in hot and dry climate. The aim of this study is to identify the geometric and natural characteristics of courtyards in historical houses of Isfahan city in hot-arid climate. In this research, thirty historical courtyard houses were selected and analyzed as the case studies. The results show that the average ratios of length/width, height/length and height/width of the courtyards are 1.3, 0.3 and 0.4, respectively. The courtyard area averagely covers 31% of total area of houses and about 29% of the courtyard area is allocated to natural elements: 7% to water surface and 22% to plant coverage. The average ratio of the total area of openings to courtyard walls is 35%. As final results, the linear equations and correlation coefficients between the geometric and natural properties of courtyard houses are presented. The results of this research could be used as design guides for contemporary courtyards in hot-arid climate especially in Isfahan city.

Housing evolution has been driven by cultural, economic, and technological advancements. Architecture has a significant role in shaping this evolution, as architects continuously respond to changing needs by using innovative designs and materials. This results in functional, creative, optimizable, and customizable housing solutions. Research and this manuscript are focused on adapting and incorporating elements of vernacular architecture into modern housing designs. This aims to create sustainable and culturally-sensitive homes that balance tradition and modernity, while still retaining emotional and visual connections. The courtyard and surrounding spaces induce a strong positive effect on the occupants. Studies demonstrate that activeness and excitement are positive feelings that are induced by a courtyard and surrounding spaces respectively. By analyzing the data collected from diverse houses and people strongly judge that certain people are triggered to induce these spaces in housing. It confirms the hypothesis that a physical setting has a significant role in inducing Positive affective among the occupants of the vernacular settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Beijing University of Civil Engineering & Architecture is the property of Journal of Beijing University of Civil Engineering & Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper discusses the functional, compositional and aesthetic role of urban canopies in the residential areas of Arab cities. Residential areas are understood across three problem scales: those of the district, the plot and the residential building itself. The objective of this study was to identify traditional and contemporary solutions in terms of spatial, functional and formal urban courtyard and canopy design. The study included an analysis of selected cases of various types of architectural and urban solutions present in residential areas with a focus on their accessibility, form of use, and architectural forms, as divided into traditional and contemporary solutions. The analyses resulted in recommendations for contemporary interpretations of urban canopies with the intent to preserve the value of local construction tradition, as well as modern needs linked to the necessity of implementing pro-environmental solutions on the architectural and urban scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the 10th century, the arrabales of Córdoba underwent a process of rapid growth, triggered by the growing political authority of the capital of the western caliphate. This involved the urbanisation of erstwhile agricultural areas, with new streets and public buildings such as baths, mosques, and funduqs, as well as whole blocks of houses. Domestic blocks generally took the shape of lines of houses that were similar in plan. Among domestic models, which invariably revolved around a courtyard, the most basic type—rectangular in plan, with a central courtyard and a bay on either side—was also the most numerous. This work examines the characteristics and expansions of these buildings, in order to better understand the process that led to the crystallisation of Andalusi urban fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, the severed right hands of 12 individuals have been analysed osteologically. The hands were deposited in three pits within a courtyard in front of the throne room of a 15th Dynasty (c.1640–1530 BC) Hyksos palace at Avaris/Tell el-Dab'a in north-eastern Egypt. Although this kind of practice is known from tomb or temple inscriptions and reliefs from the New Kingdom onwards, this is the first time that physical evidence has been used to learn more about the procedure and the individuals whose hands were taken. Here, we show that the right hands belonged to at least 12 adults, 11 males, and possibly one female. It is unclear if the hands were taken from dead or living individuals. After removing any attached parts of the forearm, the hands were placed in the ground with wide-splayed fingers, mainly on their palmar sides. The osteological analysis not only supports the archaeological interpretation of this evidence but also adds more detail regarding trophy-taking practices in Ancient Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past decades, many traditional vernacular buildings have been forced to be demolished or abandoned due to the accelerating trend of urbanisation in China, which has resulted in regional culture, historical memory, and architectural narratives being gradually lost. The contemporary development of courtyard-style architecture under the influence of Confucianism, an important architectural form that carries Chinese culture, remains unclear. To preserve these vernacular buildings and local culture, this paper traces the historical value of courtyard houses. Through a case study, the effectiveness of local courtyard-style building rehabilitation in Shandong is assessed, and key components, building materials, and construction techniques corresponding to Confucian cultural connotations are examined, leading to a more comprehensive dialectical analysis of building rehabilitation. The results indicated that rehabilitation can be effective in preserving vernacular components and cultural narratives in the context of sustainable development strategies for traditional buildings. Moreover, by identifying and evaluating the sense of place and rehabilitation strategies of the architectural heritage, new perspectives are offered to the world of vernacular architectural practice, and existing knowledge of the architectural courtyard is expanded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The courtyard is an architectural element found in hot arid regions due to its thermal performance that gives it cooler temperatures than the outside resulting from shading and night cooling. Previous papers focus only on either shading or ventilation and never together. This paper employs CFD techniques to simulate heat transfer in the courtyard. The results are presented through time constants showing the response of the thermal mass of the building containing the courtyard toward solar radiation and night cooling and the effect of both being combined in a factor called the Night-Time Effectiveness Ratio (NTER). The research includes simulation for different courtyard sizes and other building elements around the courtyard, like galleries. The results show the importance of the courtyard's width in changing the performance of night ventilation. Adding extra shading elements such as galleries can enhance thermal performance by 30–60%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Castle of Melfi is placed on a hilltop overlooking the modern town and it includes many buildings that have been modified and expanded over time. Its Norman-era core was probably built between the end of the 11th and the start of the 12th century on top of an earlier Byzantine castrum; it was enlarged during the reign of Frederick II and additional alterations were undertaken during the reigns of the Angevin and Aragonese. Integrated ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys were carried out inside two courtyards of the westernmost part of the castle, the Cortile degli Armigeri and the Cortile del Mortorio, and in an external eastern wall area in order to identify ancient buried structures through two different methods of investigation and to compare the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of beautiful countryside construction, with the continuous development of rural construction, the countryside has ushered in opportunities and challenges. People pay more and more attention to the development of landscape, environmental protection, and courtyards. In order to promote rural optimization and environment improvement, taking Bajiao Village, Jingmen City as an example, the effect of courtyard landscape on the overall rural development and the strategy of improving rural courtyard landscape were discussed through field investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the vernacular housing, the courtyard is the main structural space, whether by its location, function, or symbolism. The experience of El Miniawy brothers in their project "124 logements CNEP" at Biskra with its typology was promoted as "the alternative" to the conventional and traditional "courtyard house." It was reformulated as a new multi-housing typology. Their approach is based on the conversion of the traditional house's organisation around the "courtyard" from a horizontal to a vertical one in the contemporary house. This vision is argued by its designers as being inspired by local life way, to reformulate the "courtyard" space in a contemporary living environment. The present paper is an investigation that aims to evaluate this experimental project and see if it succeeded in convincing its residents as an alternative to both conventional contemporary housing and vernacular one. The study is based on two approaches. A literature review of the architects' arguments to promote the typology they suggest and a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of their project, applied in two steps. The first is observation through architectural surveys and photography, and the second is a questionnaire distributed to project residents. As a main result of the confrontation of the environmental intentions of the architects, with the results of the post-occupancy evaluation, the study showed that the conceptual approach adopted for these "courtyard houses" did not give the results expected by its designers. This was manifested through several parameters studied, but mainly by the declared uses, which are very restricted compared to those provided by the courtyard in the vernacular habitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A courtyard is an essential space for natural lighting and natural convective ventilation of residential buildings in hot-humid climates. This study focuses on the internal courtyard configuration on the thermal performance of long strip houses (LSH) in the hot-climate area of Hainan Island, China. The aim is to identify the best design parameters for the courtyard to improve thermal comfort in modern LSH design. Appropriate strategies, including Mahoney table, field investigation, and CFD simulation, are used to determine thermal performance. As a result, the design guidelines of the courtyard are proposed to optimize the thermal comfort towards energy saving. The study reveals the spatial characteristics and climate regulation of internal courtyards in traditional LSH. In addition, the simulation results show that the enclosure with a shaded cover and a high ratio of H/D is conducive to thermal environment and ventilation, and the section of contracted shape from bottom to top is a preferred option in the internal courtyard configuration. This study should, therefore, be of value in designing practical projects with an interior courtyard for architects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The courtyard house is a typical design plays a significant role in shaping traditional house's physical layout, and climatic condition. The architectural characteristics of a traditional courtyard house led to a comprehensive clarification of its spatial and mass organization. Historically, the Erbil citadel has served as a symbol of Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan's capital. In addition, buffer zones around the citadel are defined by UNESCO to be within the World Heritage list. This study aims to analyze the spatial and geometrical characteristics of traditional courtyard houses in Erbil City. Then, it examines similarities and differences among the various architectural styles and explores the main key architectural elements. A qualitative inductive content analysis was used involving drawings, photographs. The findings show the variations in the house spatial- mass composition. The study concluded that three-sided courtyards, wooden doors, traditional windows, Arches, and brick ornamentation are the most common architectural components in traditional houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The campus courtyards in the Lingnan area are commonly used spaces. Therefore, their thermal comfort is highly important for improving user satisfaction. This study conducted field research on 18 courtyards in four universities in Lingnan to explore the effects of their architectural design factors on the thermal environment. Relevant studies have proved that courtyards are cost-effective in microclimate regulation, and individual factors such as the scale and openness of the courtyards have also been shown to have an effect on the thermal comfort of the courtyards. This study synthesizes multidimensional architectural design factors to explore and analyze the thermal environments of college courtyards. Physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) is selected as the thermal comfort evaluation index for the study and the conclusions are as follows: (1) The thermal environment is the most important factor influencing visitors to the courtyards (22%), and good thermal comfort improves the efficiency of using the college courtyards; (2) the courtyards have a positive microclimate regulating function, and a cooling effect occurs in 80% of them; and (3) the floor location, type, orientation, and sky view factor (SVF) of the courtyards are the main design factors affecting the thermal environment and PET. The first three factors were negatively correlated with PET (p < 0.05),and SVF was positively correlated with PET (p = 0.651). Passive courtyard design strategies are presented based on the findings of this study.

Single‐family house? You may The typology of the compact courtyard house enables private forms of living on one's own land with a high urban density. The so‐called compact courtyard house was developed and examined as a new type of courtyard house at the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences (HFT Stuttgart). Added to neighbourhoods, it provides residents with urban living spaces reducing land consumption and can combine high density, diversity of use and a high degree of privacy and residential quality in both indoor and outdoor spaces – in both new and existing situations. By definition, this is achieved by integrating courtyards/outdoor spaces into the building structure as exclusively private usable areas that can not be looked into (instead of exposed distance areas with lower usable value outside the building) and by providing lighting and ventilation via these areas. Indoor and outdoor spaces can thus merge into a protected and closely interlinked living space. The results to date of the interdisciplinary DFG‐funded research work, which has been ongoing since 2017, demonstrate with an extensive typology, generally valid solution strategies and many individual investigations that this approach already works on unusually small plots (approx. 60–200 m2) of varying proportions with up to five‐storey buildings for one or more parties. Some of the variants that emerge from different basic types are suitable as single‐family houses on their own land and can thus enable this form of housing sought by the majority in a sustainable urban environment of high density and heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]