The advantages of a courtyard house are well known. In addition to bringing closer contact with the outside from the inside, it substantially improves comfort by providing more natural lighting and ventilation. This typology goes through time being reinvented from different ways of thinking not only its architecture, but also the landscaping of its external area. Therefore, we have gathered different ways of conceiving the garden and other elements that can make up that space.
Integration With Furniture
In a design that seeks greater integration between the use of the area and the created garden, thinking about furniture that integrates with the plants and architecture is a way of making the landscaping even richer.
Patio House / herchell arquitectos
Courtyard House at the foot of the Great Wall / IAPA Design Consultants
Less is More
The minimalist garden concept can be somewhat contradictory. To avoid it, we can imagine how much some elements can be selected so that they stand out. Whether they are a tree or even a small intervention in the topography, they create a focal point and keep the context of the environment more serene.
Micro Courtyard House / Atelier Kaiser Shen
Courtyard House / Ha Architecture
Natural Landscaping
Garden maintenance is not always easy, so some people opt for native plants and create a naturalistic landscape that, in addition to having an easier adaptation to the climate and soil, can also be attractive to different animals and insects from the area for your patio.
Courtyard House / NO ARCHITECTURE
Nagoya Courthouse / Takeshi Hosaka Architects
Dry Courtyard
Totally free space would be ideal for those looking to use it in different ways. The important thing here is to think of ways to maintain the soil permeability, either by using permeable materials or creating an edge through which water can flow.
Pátio House / PROMONTORIO
Patio House / Undurraga Devés Arquitectos
Different Paving
One way to make the courtyard design more playful is also to play with the rhythm given to the paving. Here, it is worth looking for different types of material or patterns, which mix textures and materials.
Patio House / 24 7 Arquitetura
Patio House / OOAK Architects
The Presence of Water
Implementing water as an element in the courtyard can make the space even more synesthetic by bringing new sensations to smell and hearing. In addition to the playful factor that it adds to the environment, it becomes an invitation for people to see your movement, refresh their feet or even feed fish.
Zhan Yuan Courtyard House for Gazing / Wee Studio
Fitzroy Bridge House / Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on September 22, 2022.
