A study on the impact of courtyard vegetation on its thermal comfort performance in an educational building of warm and humid climates

Courtyards are a popular design element that often focus on aesthetics while neglecting their potential functionality. Homogenous courtyard designs persist across climates, overlooking their ability to improve thermal performance. This research addresses this critical gap by conducting a quantitative study on the functional benefits of courtyards in an educational building. A case study approach was used to compare two similar courtyards at the NIT Trichy campus: one with and one without vegetation. This method allows for the isolation and quantification of the influence of courtyard vegetation on thermal performance. Field measurements of relevant thermal factors were conducted, complemented by simulations utilizing the Ladybug tool within Rhino software. The results revealed a compelling case for the integration of vegetation within courtyards. Significant variations in thermal factors were observed, particularly during mornings and noon. The vegetated courtyard had a 5–7°C lower mean radiant temperature than its non-vegetated counterpart. Furthermore, the simulations suggested that strategically placed trees can mitigate heat stress, potentially reducing the area subjected to strong heat stress by 50–70%, as measured using the universal thermal climate index. These findings highlight the importance of strategically designed courtyards with vegetation for promoting thermal comfort in educational buildings.