Natural ventilation as a passive cooling strategy for multi-story buildings: analytic vertical skycourt formations

Abstract Natural ventilation has been one of the most important passive cooling strategies for conditioning the built environment. However, several challenges influence natural ventilation in multi-story buildings. Consequently, skycourt presents a passive cooling strategy to provide a direct airflow into the space to cool the surroundings, increase thermal comfort, and reduce the need for mechanical ventilation. Therefore, this study proposes utilizing the skycourt as a passive cooling strategy that helps to enhance natural ventilation in multi-story buildings. The aim of the research is achieved by analyzing various global examples of buildings, based on the skycourt, in different climatic zones; dry, tropical, temperate, and cold. These examples covered all classifications of multi-story buildings (e.g., mid-rise, high-rise, and skyscrapers). Through this analysis, the influence of skycourt in providing natural ventilation is determined, which contributes to reduce energy consumption. Finally, a reference matrix for designers and decision-makers in the four studied climatic zones can be conducted to promote natural ventilation using the skycourt strategy.