Microclimate and User Perception in Vegetated and Non-Vegetated Educational Courtyards: A Paired Field Study in Visakhapatnam, India

Courtyards can moderate heat in dense educational settings, yet field evidence from warm-humid Indian campuses remains limited and is rarely integrated with user perception. This study compared a vegetated courtyard (GSB) and a non-vegetated courtyard (SACB) in Visakhapatnam through repeated air-temperature and relative-humidity measurements and an aggregate post-occupancy survey. Four spatial points were monitored at 09:00 am and 12:00 pm on ten dates between 23 July and 8 August 2026. Point readings were averaged for each courtyard-session and paired by date and time to avoid pseudo-replication. GSB was cooler on every date, with mean differences of -0.72°C at 09:00 am (95% CI -1.03 to -0.41; p=0.0005) and -1.20°C at 12:00 pm (95% CI -1.76 to -0.65; p=0.0009). Relative humidity was higher at GSB by 3.52 and 3.39 percentage points, respectively. Positive ratings for comfort during stays of at least 30 minutes and suitability for activities were both 90.9% at GSB and 20.0% at SACB. Physical and perceptual evidence therefore converged on a cooler, more usable microclimate at GSB. However, the observational design cannot separate vegetation from geometry, materials, shade and airflow. The study offers a transparent paired-analysis framework for small campus microclimate datasets and identifies priorities for stronger causal and thermal-comfort assessment.

Courtyard microclimate, Outdoor thermal comfort, Post-occupancy evaluation, Warm-humid climate

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