An experimental study of the effects of surface openings on air flow caused by wind in courtyard buildings

One of the modifications to increase the ventilation performance of buildings with courtyards is to create cavities to convey the air horizontally in the courtyard by the wind. This also decreases the cooling load, indirectly, in temperate or hot-humid climates. This study examines and attempts to explain the effects imposed by openings created in the architectural mass of courtyard buildings upon the velocities of airflows within such courtyards. The research was conducted through tests in a wind tunnel. The results from this study indicate that for buildings containing openings arranged in configurations different from those of courtyard buildings, openings located on perpendicular surfaces increase the velocities of airflows within courtyards in proportion to their dimensions and positions.