The climatic behaviour of the internal courtyard in

extremely hot and dry zones

A case study of the Dir Hogla Monastery in the Jordan Valley, Israel
ODED POTCHTER AND YOTAM TEPPER
Department of Geography and Human Environment, Tel Aviv University
P.O. Box 39040, Ramat Aviv
69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
potchter@post.tau.ac.il
Abstract
Architectural textbooks generally describe the internal courtyard as a positive factor that can
moderate extreme out door climatic conditions. However, New researches showed that the courtyard
could become a negative factor from climatic point of view. It can be hotter than the environment and
uncomfortable for human being. This paper present a case study of climatic adaptation of a traditional
courtyard in a building from the 6th century A.D. built in the Jordan Valley in Israel which suffer
from extremely hot and arid climatic conditions. Measurement in side the courtyard and outdoor
carried out during one week in the summer and one week during the winter prove that the design of
the courtyard adjust to arid environment and moderate the extreme out door climatic condition.
Conference topic : comfort and quality of indoor and outdoor spaces
Keywords : internal courtyard, traditional courtyard, arid zone,

INTRODUCTION

2C 3C cooler than the environment while during the

night hotter by 4C 7C than the environment [4].
Another courtyard that was examined in a traditional house
in Egypt was found to be 2C 3C cooler than the
environment while during night the temperature differences
were negligible [5].

Over time, different types of courtyard design were

developed in different part of the world; Babylon, Greece,
Rome, Spain, China, India, the Islamic countries, and many
other areas. They all had the same principle, a central
courtyard surrounded on four sides by rooms and walls. It is
agreed that the origin of this internal courtyard is in the hot,
arid climate of the Ancient Near East. The first courtyard
houses were build 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia and
3,000 years ago in India and China [1].

The courtyard as a negative climatic element

New research has shown however that the courtyard
could become a negative factor from the climatic point of
view. It can be hotter than the environment and
uncomfortable for human beings. An examination of two
modern buildings with internal courtyards in the Negev
Mountain of Israel found that temperatures in the courtyard
during the month of October were 5C 6C hotter than the
environment. Furthermore, in January there was no
significant temperature difference between the courtyard
and its surroundings [6]. Another two internal courtyards in
modern buildings, located in an army base, were found to
be hotter than the environment most of the time. During the
summer the courtyard was found to be hotter by up to 7C
than its surrounding while during the winter the difference
were smaller [7]. An examination of a traditional house in
Iraq also found that an inertial courtyard could be a
negative climatic factor. The courtyard inside the building,
which is located in a dense urban area, was hotter than the
surroundings most of the time. At noon the courtyard was
found to be up to 5C hotter than the environment [8].

The courtyard as a positive climatic element

Architectural textbooks generally describe the internal
courtyard as a positive factor that can moderate extreme out
door climatic conditions. The climatic behaviour of the
courtyard is especially important in arid areas that are
characterised by high temperatures during the day and low
temperatures during the night and by high temperature
amplitude between the seasons. The internal courtyard helps
to cool the indoor part of the building during the hot houres
of the day by using the cold night air to circulate the air
inside the house and by pushing out hot air [2].
Empirical experiments that examine the climatic
behaviour of the internal courtyard showed its positive
contribution in creating a comfortable microclimate in
comparison to the surrounding environmental climate
conditions. An examination of an internal courtyard in India
in a three storey building located in a dense urban area
showed that most of the day the courtyard was cooler that
its surroundings while during the night, it was slightly
warmer [3]. An examination of a traditional Egyptian house
showed that during the summer the internal courtyard was

The research aim

This apparent contradiction between the results of
measurements of the climatic effects of an internal
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The climatic behaviour of the internal courtyard in extremely hot and dry zones
The area of the Central Jordan Valley suffers from an
extremely hot and dry climate and the yearly and daily
amplitude temperatures are high. During the summer, daily
average maximum temperatures rise to over 38C while the
average minimum temperatures do not drop below 22C.
during the winter, the climate is moderate. Daily average
temperatures are between 13.5C - 15C and at night
temperatures can drop below 8C. For seven months of the
year, from April until October, the area suffers from heat
stress. During July and August heat stress is present 20
hours a day, 10 hours of which are severe heat stress. The
wind regime is characterised by northern and north-westerly
winds during the night, most of the year. During the
summer, during the morning the wind flow is from the
south until noon when the western and north western winds
become dominant due to the Mediterranean sea breeze [9].
The structure, layout and building materials of the
monastery have remained intact since the 6th century
A.D.(according to the plan). The building form is square, its
sizes are 28 x 28 meters and its height is between 9 and 12
meters. In the centre of the building is an inertial courtyard,
which measures 10 x 12 meters (fig. 2). The courtyard is
paved in stone. Around the courtyard from west and south
are colonnades. Inside the courtyard there are shaded trees.
The entrance to the building is from the west via a corridor
into the courtyard and from the courtyard to the rooms.

courtyard creates a necessity to recheck the climatic

behaviour of the interior courtyard.
The aim of this research is to measure and to examine
the thermal behaviour of the internal courtyard in a
traditional house, to explain the findings, to compare them
with similar research and to evaluate the architectural
parameters that create a positive climatic adaptation to the
environmental climatic conditions.
METHODOLOGY
Study area
As a case study the old building of the monastery of Dir
Hogla which is located in the Central Jordan Valley was
chosen. The Central Jordan Valley is long and narrow and
lies between 300 to 400 meters blow sea level, surrounded
from east and west by a range of mountains, which creates a
lee side desert.

Figure 2: General plan of the courtyard house of the monastery of

Dir Hogla

The location of Dir Hogla in an extremely hot and arid

area provides a unique opportunity to examine the climatic
behaviour of the inertial courtyard and its efficiency as a
positive climatic element.
Tools and measurements
In order to examine the climatic behaviour of the
internal courtyard two meteorological stations were set up,
one in the centre of the courtyard and the second 100 meters
west of the building in the open desert environment.

Figure 1: The location of Dir Hogla.

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The climatic behaviour of the internal courtyard in extremely hot and dry zones
Each meteorological station measured temperature and
relative humidity using a Lambrecht thermohigrograph in a
fixed weather screen, at a height of 2 meters above the
ground, and wind velocity and direction was measured 3
meters above the ground using a Volfle anamometer.

maximum temperature was 33.5C and minimum

temperature was 24C. The average maximum temperature
inside the courtyard was 31C while the average minimum
temperature was 23C, an average daily amplitude of 8C
only (fig.6).

Study time and weather conditions

Climatic measurements were taken during one week in
the summer and one week during the winter. The summer
measurements were taken in September 1996. The weather
conditions were stable, clear sky with slow airflow during
the nights and moderate winds during the day. The winter
measurements were taken in March 1997. The weather
conditions were stable, clear sky with slow airflow during
all hours.
RESULTS

COURTYARD

OUTDOOR

Figure 4: Average daily courtyard and outdoor temperature during

a week in March 1997.

During the week of measurement in the winter

maximum outdoor temperature was 27C while minimum
outdoor temperature was 7C. The daily average outdoor
maximum temperature was 23C while the daily average
minimum temperature 12.5C, an average daily amplitude
of 10.5C (fig. 3). Inside the courtyard, during the week of
measurement in the winter maximum temperature was 26C
and minimum temperature was 12.5C. The average
maximum temperature inside the courtyard was 23C while
the average minimum temperature was 16C, an average
daily amplitude of 7C only (fig 5).
The daily average relative humidity values in the open
environment were between 60% to 35%, while inside the
courtyard the values were between 72% to 35%.

COURTYARD

OUTDOOR

Figure 5:Extreme daily courtyard and outdoor temperature during

a week in September 1996.

MIN. COURTYARD

MAX. COURTYARD

MIN. OUTDOOR

MAX. OUTDOOR

Figure 3:Extreme daily courtyard and outdoor temperature during

a week in March 1997.
MIN. COURTYARD

It seems from the measurement that during daytime in

the winter the outdoor temperatures are slightly warmer
than the courtyard temperature. However after sunset the
courtyard become warmer than the open desert
environment. During the night until sunrise the average
temperature in the courtyard is 3.5C higher than the open
environment temperature. During the week of measurement
in the summer maximum outdoor temperature was 37.5C
while minimum outdoor temperature was 22.5C. The
average daily outdoor maximum temperature was 35.5C
while the average minimum temperature was 23C, an
average daily amplitude of 12.5C (fig.5). Inside the
courtyard, during the week of measurement in the summer

MAX. COURTYARD

MIN. OUTDOOR

MAX. OUTDOOR

Figure 6: Average daily courtyard and outdoor temperature during

a week September 1996.

The daily average relative humidity values in the open

environment were between 70% to 45%, while inside the
courtyard the values were between 75% to 50%.
It seems from the measurement that during daytime in
the summer the courtyard temperatures are cooler than the
open desert environment from sunrise until sunset. During
noontime the average courtyard temperature is lower by
4.5C than outdoor temperature. However, during the night
the average temperature of the courtyard is 1C higher than
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The climatic behaviour of the internal courtyard in extremely hot and dry zones
the open environment temperature. It also seems that the
relative humidity differences between the open desert
environment and the courtyard are not so pronounce.

It can be seen that it is possible to identify some

architectural elements that can create a positive climatic
function of a courtyard and others which create a negative
climatic function.

Comparison of heat stress value between the open desert

environment and the internal courtyard showed the
following results: in the open desert environment there was
a daily average of 19 hours with heat stress. These included
8 hours of severe heat stress, 7 hours of moderate heat
stress and 4 hours of mild heat stress. Inside the courtyard
there were 24 hours a day with heat stress. These were
made up of 10 hours of moderate heat stress and 10 hours
of mild heat stress. Inside the courtyard there was no severe
heat stress. These finding can be explain by the fact the
temperature values inside the courtyard are lower than the
environment while the relative humidity differences are
small. (heat stress was calculated according to a Discomfort
Index: (Wet bulb temp. dry bulb temp.)/2= heat stress units).

Table 1: The characteristics of courtyards that function as a

positive climatic element.

Name of
Khan
researcher
*
Location
*
Season
1:1.75
Ratio:
Length
/height
Small trees
Use of
Vegetation
Traditional
Buildings
material
*Missing information

Nour

Sainai

Egypt
Summer
1:1.5

India
Winter
1:4.6

Small trees

Thick stone
walls

30.0
SEVERE

29.0
HE
AT 28.0
ST 27.0
RE
SS 26.0
UN
ITS 25.0

Table 2: The characteristics of courtyards that function as a

negative climatic element.
MODERATE

Name of
researcher
Location
Season

24.0
MILD

23.0
22.0
21.0
20.0
1

Ratio:
Length/
Height
Small trees
Use of
Vegetation
Concrete
Building
materials
*Missing information

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
HOUR
COURTYARD

Meir &
Pearlmutter
Israel
Autumn &
winter
1:0.51

OUTDOOR

Figure 7: Average daily heat stress value inside the courtyard and
outdoor during a week September 1996.

DISCUSSION

Etzion

Danby

Israel
Summer &
winter
1:1

Iraq
Summer

None

None

Concrete

1:1.2

Traditional buildings materials are preferred. The use of

vegetation has a positive climatic contribution probably due
to the oasis effect that it provides.
It seems the one of the important factors is the ratio
between the courtyard length to height of the building
surrounding it. It can see from table 1 that when the walls
around the courtyard are higher than the courtyard length,
the courtyard climate is more comfortable than the outdoor
climate, due to better shading that is provided by the
surrounding walls. In contrast, it seems that when the length
of the courtyard is longer than the height of its surrounding
walls, the temperatures inside the courtyard are higher than
the outdoor temperatures.
It should be noticed that the different architectural
elements of the courtyard and the building are connected to
each other and influence each other. A courtyard in a
traditional house is usually constructed of thick walls, and
its surrounding walls are higher than the courtyard length.
Vegetation in the courtyard moderates the extreme outdoor
climatic conditions. A courtyard in a modern house made of
concrete, with its surrounding walls which are lower than
the courtyard length, and bare of vegetation can create
climatic conditions which are less pleasant than those in the
surrounding environment.

It seems from the case study of Dir Hogla that the

internal courtyard functions as a positive climatic element.
The courtyard was found to be cooler by 4C - 5C during a
summer day than its surrounding desert environment and
warmer by 3.5C during the winter nights than its
surrounding desert environment. The daily amplitude of
temperatures inside the courtyard was smaller than outdoors
and the climatic parameters were less extreme in
comparison to outdoors.
These findings raise the question of why some empirical
examinations of courtyards showed their function as a
positive climatic element whereas others had a negative
climatic influence.
In order to answer this question there is a need to reexamine the experiments mentioned above and to compare
the architectural elements of the different houses. These
elements include geographical location, the season in which
measurements were carried out, the ratio between the length
of the building and its height, the use of vegetation and type
of building materials. Table 1 summarises the experiments
that found the courtyard to be positive climatic element and
Table 2 summarises the experiments that found the
courtyard to be a negative climatic element.
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The climatic behaviour of the internal courtyard in extremely hot and dry zones
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
This paper examines the climatic behaviour of
traditional courtyard house in extreme hot and dry climatic
conditions. Measurements that have been taken during
summer and winter showed that the courtyard could
moderate extreme weather conditions. During the daytime
in the summer, the courtyard was found to be cooler by 4C
- 5C than the open desert environment while during the
night time in the winter the courtyard was found to be 3.5C
hotter than the environment. A comparison with other
research showed that sometimes courtyards create positive
climatic conditions while in other cases courtyards were
found to have a negative influence on the climatic
conditions. An examination of the characteristics of the
courtyards showed that the traditional courtyard usually
functions as a positive climatic element while modern
courtyards can function as a negative climatic element. It is
important to pay attention to the different architectural
elements in order to achieve a better adaptation to climatic
conditions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors wish to thank Mr. Vered Dayan and Mr.
Yaron Yaakov from the Department of Geography and
Human Environment of Tel Aviv University for their
technical assistance.
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