The distribution of natural light, improved ventilation, and the propensity to connect living spaces with the outdoors while maintaining the privacy of the inhabitants have made courtyards a go-to in architectural design around the world over the centuries.
Courtyards are characterized as outdoor or semi-outdoor spaces that are enclosed within the walls of a house or building.
In many cases, these exteriors yet contained spaces play a significant role in the layout of the projects that incorporate them, especially when they are the only access point to the outside.
To highlight the many elements that courtyards contribute to structures, we've compiled a list of 10 projects from Argentina and Spain that demonstrate the array of options available when incorporating a courtyard into a project.
Pasaje Cabrer Collective Housing / AFRa
- Location: Argentina (Buenos Aires)
- Year: 2012
Silvina and Omar House / IR arquitectura
- Location: Argentina (Buenos Aires)
- Year: 2013
Holmberg House / Estudio Borrachia
- Location: Argentina (Buenos Aires)
- Year: 2016
Tacuari House / moarqs
- Location: Argentina (Buenos Aires)
- Year: 2018
Patio House / Ezequiel Spinelli + Facundo S. López
- Location: Argentina (Buenos Aires)
- Year: 2019
Martínez House / BHY arquitectos
- Location: Argentina (Buenos Aires)
- Year: 2020
Guerrero House / Alberto Campo Baeza
- Location: Spain (Cadiz)
- Year: 2005
House Among Pines / XPIRAL
- Location: Spain (Murcia)
- Year: 2006
Vivienda en Soto del Real / Alberich-Rodríguez Arquitectos
- Location: Spain (Madrid)
- Year: 2010
La Rambla House / Rosa Ma Ballester Espigares
- Location: Spain (Murcia)
- Year: 2014