Interior Courtyards and Habitability. Impacts on Cité Housings in Central Santiago

Abstract

Heritage buildings are an opportunity to solve the increasing housing demand in cities, but many occupants have altered the original conditions to satisfy their living needs. This research develops a comparative analysis of comfort and energy efficiency in ‘cité’ housing to assess the effects of covering their interior courtyards. The methodology considers energy performance simulations of both the original design and current situation, and on-site data collection for three housing units located in downtown Santiago, Chile.

Results show that the courtyard is a key element to achieve comfort and energy efficiency. Homes with covered courtyards do not reach levels of light comfort and depend on artificial lighting, increasing energy demand. Courtyard ventilation in the original design performs as an efficient passive strategy but, in the current scenario, living spaces show air tightness. Thermal simulations show that modified homes do not achieve comfort levels in winter and could result in overheating in summer. Nevertheless, on-site measurements found that vegetation in courtyards is an effective strategy that creates microclimates in summer, reducing the interior temperature through evapotranspiration processes.