COURTYARD IN INDIAN CONTEXT

BRIEF HISTORY

The origin of the Indian courtyard houses  can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilisation. In the course of a moment, climate and society have always affected houses of distinct types. In hot areas, buildings with inner courtyards are regarded as the most suitable. The design of the Courtyard had emerged in Egypt, Iran and China as far back as 3000 BC. The first courtyard homes seemed likely to have come from India around 6500-6000 BC according to historical proof. If we evaluate different cultures carefully, we can understand that courtyard structures are components of Chinese, Japanese and Spanish societies. The change from public to personal courts was made by influencing diverse cultures. The introduction of the Islamic Rulers (14th century) to northern India introduced the main question of dealing with an open room in the country. The British arrival resulted in a significant shift in architectural styles and the courtyard idea (18th century). 

REFLECTION FROM SOCIETY

In India, courtyards were not just a type of architecture. They seemed to have been a way of life. Courtyards represented the time's culture and regulated the house's personality and mood. Courtyards had a formal or influential impact on the house's configuration. They assisted individuals to adapt to the summer highs and the Indian subcontinent's cold temperatures.

Modern-day courtyard house
Copyright@ Richard Barnes

Courtyards have various titles such as Kerala's nalukettu (the main courtyard encircled by chambers), Rajasthan's haveli, Gujarat's Wada houses, Ahmedabad's poles, Goa's traditional houses, etc. The design of Kerala's traditional (tharavadu) buildings was easy and intended to accommodate a big number of individuals living in a common household scheme. Each design has arrangements for adequate sunshine and great ventilation has occurred in some well-designed nalukettus. The temperature would be pleasant throughout the year keeping cool in summer and warmer in the winter. The traditional tharavadu's architecture accommodated many individuals residing under one roof and enjoying the homestead's widely shared comforts. The courtyards in Kerala's traditional households put the sacred thulasithara (an elevated platform for tulsi) apart as a prominent location.

Traditional Courtyard Home

There are many courtyards in Central India's houses. The first courtyard is called the baithak (the place of standing). Another is close to the women's area called the inner courtyard. These courtyards have beautiful façades and wealthy design element variants. What is intriguing is that these courtyards not only describe the ideal spatial organization of those moments but also behave as centers for ceremonies, weddings, celebrations, and cultural gatherings. This demonstrates that the courtyard homes develop from the idea of constructing a house around a big room.

RELEVANCE

Despite the successful use of courtyard design over the centuries the notion now seems to disappear as compact construction drawings take priority. The impact of Western society, shifts in lifestyle, and the contemporary equipment accessible on the market have rendered it possible for individuals to offer their houses a contemporary look, often disturbing the environment. Because of economic reasons, the architecture of the old days cannot be reproduced now. Every inch of land is now expensive, so we can't construct enormous buildings with courtyards. Indeed, many hotels, households, farms, etc. are now closely recreating courtyards. More and more planners are now searching at methods to bring courtyards that can play a vital part in the rural and regional growth of today's housing. 

A courtyard in a house in inhabited regions can provide a family with a break from the daily bustle and a secure location for kids to play. Architects are experimenting with courtyards with room at a price as a manner to provide living room for tiny groups of people. A courtyard encircled by at least ten buildings would provide a park-like room for those households who would also take pleasure in owning the room. Nevertheless, in the sense of development where ecological problems are of paramount significance, courtyards can still be regarded as a significant component of the architecture that acts both as a social space and as something that decreases the building's carbon footprint.

After the invasion of both Mughal and British there is a dramatic change in the design of houses as factors of land availability, reduced plot sizes, affordability, and development of gated communities have replaced the way home design used to be earlier. The courtyard is trying to make a comeback in theme among the upper crust, though sometimes with artificial grass. New features have been added such as hanging gardens, green walls, and cascading bodies of water to make it more appealing to its residents. Modern architects play a major role in this regeneration, where multi-level courtyards across the magnificent mansions are becoming not only a trend but an emblem of profundity and a design driver as the courtyard significantly enhances the Livability and spaces can be arranged around everything, with a dramatic play of light and shadow.

Sketch view of a Traditional courtyard
Creator@Ar.SuhridPal 

Benefits :

• Sufficient open spaces for light and ventilation
• Maintains a pleasant interior atmosphere throughout the year.
• Energy-efficient as it reduces the dependency on ACs and other light requirements.
• Provides spaces for cultural gathering and events.
• Best suited for larger families.

Limitations :

• Requires a large land area.
• Challenges affordability.
• Construction costs can be higher.

1. Thermal Performance

Courtyard form, proportions, scale, emphasis, building materials, landscape elements, and opening design that opens on to any of it, the inner spaces that surround it, and the housing cluster surrounding it merge to form the thermal capacity of the courtyard home.

2. Shape of Building

Geometry and orientation of the courtyard affect the thermal efficiency of the house. Courtyard orientation (or thermal efficiency)  is regulated by Annual and seasonal Thermal variation, Solar orientation.

3. Aspect Ratio

     Aspect Ratio (AR) is defined as “the degree of openness to the sky”. Therefore, the greater the aspect ratio, the more exposed the courtyard is to the sky. This factor is considered for the daylight and is calculated as.

Aspect ratio = area of the courtyard floor/(average height of the surrounding walls)^2

If the courtyard is wide and shallow (high aspect ratio), it performs as the sun collector. On the other hand, the narrow and deep courtyard (low aspect ratio) performs as a sun protector, in which orientation has a weak effect on the house.

4. Surface Area to Volume Ratio

Surface Area to Volume Ratio is an indication of the rate at which the building heats up during the day and cools down at night. This ratio is obtained by dividing the total surface of the building including facades and roofs by their volume.

Surface Area to Volume Ratio= Total Surface Area of Building/Volume of Building

In the summer, a higher proportion results in greater heat gain and in winter heat loss. A high ratio also provides a significant raise in the ventilation potential and daylight, which could counter the enormous surface area drawback.

5. Solar Access and Shading

The solar performance of the courtyard depends upon solar access and shading achieved in the courtyard. A shady courtyard in winter may turn up to an open courtyard in summer due to a change in the altitude angle of the sun.

6. The Solar Shadow Index

The Solar Shadow Index (SSI) is a factor that deals with winter sun exposure. The greater the solar shadow index, the deeper the wall formed by the courtyard, and thus the less winter sun reaches the floor or the south wall.

Solar Shadow Index = (South wall height)/(North-South floor width)

7. Natural Ventilation

The ventilation and air movement through the courtyard is determined by prevailing wind direction, average wind velocity, and position and size of fenestrations.

In this enclosed space, air circulation depends mainly on the ratios of the walls and window placement in the rooms in the proximity. The appropriate ratio of the courtyard building offers a cool airflow inside the house it helps in create Comfortable living and sleeping conditions during the day throughout the night. Courtyard temperature, daylight, and air can be monitored in the rooms surrounding it movement. Orientation, profundity, and height are all In order to maintain the same values.

The airflow and natural lighting can be achieved in two ways which affect the thermal comfort of the residents.

• Temperature-generated pressure differences (stack effect)

Based on the fact that hot air rises and exits through the top opening, and cool air replaces it. Stack effect phenomena are caused by the pressure difference between the outer air and the air inside structure induced through temperature variation.

• Wind-generated pressure differences (cross ventilation)

where air travels from the openings across space. During the day, the courtyard heats up quickly, which enhances the stack effect due to high air temperature differences. However, this happens when the outside temperature is cooler than inside.

8. Thermal Mass

Thermal mass is a concept in building design that describes how the mass of the building provides "inertia" against temperature fluctuations, sometimes known as the thermal flywheel effect. When outside temperatures are fluctuating throughout the day, a large thermal mass of a house can serve to "flatten out" the daily temperature fluctuations. Thermal admittance: Thermal admittance quantifies a material's ability to absorb and release heat from space as the indoor temperature changes through a period of time. Admittance values can be a useful tool in assessing heat flows into and out of thermal storage. Admittance is measured in W/(m2K). So that

h = NQ / A x NT

Where: h = heat transfer coefficient, W/(m2K)

NQ = heat input or heat lost, W

A = heat transfer surface, m2

NT = difference in temperature between the solid surface and the

adjacent air space.

Higher admittance values indicate higher thermal mass.

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