Visualising solar-passive design of courtyard houses and the rhythms of life in Classical Olynthos, Greece

This paper uses 3D computer architectural and environmental modelling to explore how house design affects the rhythms of life in courtyard houses, a type of residential building, prevalent in many regions of the world, where the living spaces are arranged around a central open or semi-open space. Courtyard houses are known for their various benefits, including providing natural ventilation, and dependent on the region or season the courtyard may provide shade and cooling, or it can capture sunlight and warmth for the house. We utilise the architectural evidence from Classical Olynthos, Greece, and meteorological data from Thessaloniki to model the effect of roof type, wall height as well as time of day and month of year on the quantity of direct sunlight and shade in a courtyard. The research enhances understanding of the atmosphere of the home and the solar rhythms of urban life, with particular attention placed on daily and seasonal changes to the home caused by sun and shade. Our models also provide the first clear evidence for how variations of house design (roof type, orientation and dimensions), as seen in sites across the Greek world, requires us to re-evaluate established models of domestic architecture that have been based on ancient Greek philosophy. Our modelling shows that variations of house form, how a house was roofed, and the presence of upper floors, would have had significant impact on the levels of shade, direct sunlight, heat and comfort in a home. Our models agree with the ancient philosophical observation that houses were oriented to the south. However, they also suggest that the reason for this orientation may have been to maximise winter sunlight, rather than to provide summer shade, as only south-facing houses received winter sun in our simulations. Our research provides the first use of Rhinoceros 3D and Ladybug software to explore archaeological examples of solar passive architecture. We illustrate the utility of this software to provide accurate and fast calculations that will be of use for other architectural spaces from individual structures to complex built environments. • Pioneering use of Rhino and Ladybug to analyse Classical solar passive architecture. • House design influences sunlight level, shade, and thermal comfort in courtyard homes. • Modelling reveals insights into solar rhythms of everyday life in Classical Greece. • Research challenges interpretations of domestic architecture based on Classical texts. • Research informs current sustainable architecture and passive house design.