This paper discusses the energy and comfort impact of three types of urban block configuration in the Netherlands. The annual heating and lighting energy demand, and summer thermal comfort hours are compared. In total, 102 thermal zones forming single, linear and courtyard building combinations are simulated within the Netherlands' temperate climate. The results demonstrate the importance of the surface-to-volume ratio in achieving both annual energy efficiency and summer thermal comfort. Considering different types with 1-, 2- and 3-storey heights, the courtyard model has the lowest energy demand for heating and the highest number of summer thermal comfort hours. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.