Abstract
An experimental study of two different forms of courtyards has been conducted in an existing hospital building, in the tropics. The experiments involved three design variants, namely form, size, and orientation. Three weather stations were used in three different courtyards, O- and U-forms and the third one was located in the outdoor area as benchmark. The courtyard, as a microclimatic modifier, has the ability to improve the thermal and the visual condition within the semi-outdoor area. Therefore, four physical environments variables, namely air temperature, humidity, solar intensity and wind were investigated and analyzed as these variables have not previously been studied in a single experiment of courtyard. The aim of this paper is to measure and examine the differences of thermal and visual performance in the courtyards during daytime. The results showed that form, wind orientation and number of floors had a significant effect on the microclimate and visual performance of the courtyard. Forms, orientation and number of floors are the key design variants that show a significant effect in the U-form courtyard.