A comparative study on integration of courtyard in creating environmental sustainability space for eclectic buildings

Abstract

Buildings are categorised into various types such as residential, educational, assembly and etc. This paper is described one type of assembly building namely mosque and its elements. The mosque is comprising of several elements such as courtyard, prayer hall, arcades, minaret, dome, the ablution rooms and toilets. It should be designed to accommodate the worshipper to feel comfortable and humble in the presence of God while performing the ‘solah’. In tropical region, especially in Malaysia; the existence of the courtyard in traditional mosques is still questionable whether it has fully considered the environmental benefits or it is simply a trend adopted from the Middle East. Previous studies have found that the purpose of having a courtyard inside a mosque is either for spatial reasons or it may be negligible. Hence, this study is conducted to understand the courtyard in a specificity of architectural style and the effects on spatial organization in traditional mosque design. The observation methods are used at the fieldwork in selected traditional mosques. From the observation two types of building indicator of space and form are identified for better understanding of courtyard characteristics of selected traditional mosques.