ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 747

decreased by 2 C, and the annual energy demand was reduced by 6% (Castleton et al. 2010). Khan et al (2005) reported that the plants could improve air quality, increase pleasantness, and help improve performance (Khan et al. 2005). Moreover, Taib et al. (2013) stated that plants can enhance the thermal comfort performance and air temperature variations at the different transitional spaces such as skycourt garden, balcony garden (skyterraces) and rooftop garden (skygarden) in the high-rise building (Taib et al. 2013). Furthermore, concerning the impact on temperature, skycourts may play a role as ‘buffer’ that can reduce the impact of solar radiation and glare entering from the western facades (Jahnkassim&Ip 2006)and thus reduces solar heat gain. Skycourts, can also act as acoustic buffers between spaces and this directly improves occupants’ satisfaction and show potential to separate spaces (Pomeroy 2014). 4.1.3 Skycourts from the Economic Perspective This section defines the potentials of skycourts from the economical point of view. This is crucial as it investigates the economic value of it, which can help to convince investors and developers to incorporate this unique design element in high-rise buildings. Transitional spaces such as skycourt, sky terraces and rooftop gardens have long been recognized for their potential to save energy without the mechanical requirement of air conditioning. Skycourts can provide more spaces and clean energy with different approaches of design such as the solar chimney, which helps to produce energy and allow a very high level of sunlight and views (Thomas 2012). As well as, Skycourts and its vegetation can reduce energy consumption; it can reduce the ambient temperature and thus absorb solar radiation and these directly reduce the energy costs. For example it was found that the insulation properties of green roofs ca