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Designing climatically responsive dwellings not only can achieve thermal comfort for occupants, but also can make a significant improvement in energy conservation. Consequently, interest in the microclimate around buildings in urban areas has increased because its affects other things; outdoor and indoor thermal comfort, energy consumption in heating and cooling, and the spreading of air pollution. This paper aims to investigate the influence of open spaces ( outer courtyards) between building "Shallow canyons" with a H/W ratio of 0.24 similar to 0.6 in one of the urban patterns of youth housing sectors in New Assiut city and deep canyons with a H/W ratio of 4 in one of the new residential houses ( El-Abrahimia and El-Moalemen complexes) in the center of Assiut city on indoor thermal comfort. A comparison was made between the two cases based on indoor thermal comfort, energy consumption and IAQ in hot arid climate.

The study shows a decrease of indoor temperature inside living rooms that overlook the deep canyons in El-Abrahimia complex with a difference of 11 degrees C from the outdoor in the hottest day of July. The design of deep canyons causes a temperature decrease of 6 similar to 9.4 degrees C compared to outdoor temperature in different points of the courtyard. Indoor temperature in these cases reach the upper limit of 90% acceptable range of ASHRAE during July with a maximum indoor temperature 32.5 degrees C based on the strategy of using natural ventilation. The findings show decreases of cooling demand and energy consumption in deep canyons. This is considered a basic monitoring method that could be used in the future strategy of sustainable housing design of new cities in hot arid climate. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.