Environmental Performance and User Perception in Academic Buildings Incorporating Vertical Courtyard Spaces
Raaghalakshmi Pillai C1, Jisty Thomas 2, Ashik S3 Shilpa Madangopal4
1Student, School of Architecture, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
2Professor, School of Architecture, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
3Professor, School of Architecture, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
ashik.s@christuniversity.in
4Professor, School of Architecture, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
shilpa.madangopal@christuniversity.in
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background and Motivation
University campuses look radically different today than they did twenty-five years ago. Walk through any major institution now and you'll spot the same signature feature: a soaring vertical courtyard, glass overhead, sunlight streaming down through multiple floors. These spaces—architects call them "atria"—have become the default solution for sustainable academic design.
And they should work beautifully. The concept is elegant. Open voids pull daylight deep into building cores where windows can't reach. Warm air rises naturally, creating gentle ventilation without mechanical blowers. Energy bills drop. Green building certifications follow.
But here's what keeps me up at night as a researcher. We're incredibly good at proving these buildings function mechanically. We model airflow in software. We calculate illumination down to the lux. We tabulate kilowatt-hours saved with precision. Yet we barely ask the people inside: How does it actually feel to work here?
That silence in the research bothers me. I've seen the spreadsheets—impressive energy metrics, daylight factors that exceed every standard. Then I talk to students in these buildings. They're too hot near the glass. They're blinded by glare on their laptops. They can't open a window when the automated system decides the air is "optimal." The building passes its technical exam while failing its human one.
This investigation started with that disconnect. I wanted to understand what happens between the engineering simulation and the lived reality—specifically in academic buildings where vertical courtyards promise environmental salvation but sometimes deliver daily frustration.
