Shade and Thermal Comfort in Courtyards: Experimental Versus Simulation Results

Outdoor comfort is gaining attention in the design of our cities to face current context rising temperatures. Although simulation required inform early stage projects considering outdoor space and strategies improve their thermal performance, different tool options must be compared through monitoring determine accuracy modeling. This study analyses benefits installation a shading device courtyard Mediterranean climate. In study, two workflows were analyzed, one using ENVI-met software other Ladybug Tools, evaluate performance. Air temperature data used validate calibrate simulations. Then, both compute Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) comfort. The results show that reproduced an air reduction when was installed, but this not as high (up 13.7 °C). UTCI, contrast, provided contradictory results. These differences explained by analyzing parameters affecting mean radiant temperature, found parameter most UTCI context. Thus, future research should focus on improving simulations these parameters.