https://matjournals.net/engineering/index.php/JoRAIS en-US Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science https://matjournals.net/engineering/index.php/JoRAIS/article/view/4074 <p><em>The architectural design of many primary schools in Dhaka places greater emphasis on classroom layout than on the incorporation of courtyards, which can significantly improve the availability of natural daylight in classrooms. For this reason, not many primary schools take advantage of courtyards as part of architectural design in order to improve the lighting situation indoors. Proper lighting is important in fostering the health and performance of the children, as most of the time that they spend learning is inside the classroom. Thus, proper natural light is vital in ensuring that the children develop physically and psychologically. This research paper analyzes the contribution of courtyards in enhancing the daylight environment of primary school classrooms. The primary objective is to assess how courtyards influence daylight availability and indoor illuminance levels in classrooms. This study adopted a mixed-method approach, in which indoor illuminance levels were measured using a lux meter in selected classrooms of two primary schools in Dhaka. Additionally, a qualitative analysis was conducted through a questionnaire survey involving 100 students (50 students from each selected school) to gauge their perspectives on daylight performance and visual comfort. The results show that the classrooms with courtyards performed well in terms of achieving high indoor illuminance levels and gaining good ratings from the students in terms of visual comfort and conditions for learning. On the other hand, classrooms without courtyards performed poorly in terms of illuminance levels and satisfaction due to inadequate natural lighting. The conclusion of this research shows that courtyards are a passive architectural approach that is useful in achieving good daylight performance in classrooms. </em></p> G. M. A Balayet Hossain Tanjina Rahman Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science 2026-09-07 2026-09-07 1 11