Architecture
Inside Story: The Beauty of Modern Interior Courtyards
For a breath of fresh air, bring the outside into your home with an interior courtyard
Courtyard homes existed as far back as 3,000 BC in India and China, in ancient Roman villas, and in traditional Mexican haciendas. Islamic architecture made extensive use of inner courtyards – the style is poetically called handasat al hijab, or ‘architecture of the veil’ – with modest exteriors that gave little away of the often exquisite beauty inside. Today, although form, size and materials have changed significantly, interior courtyards are getting a look-in for all the reasons they were popular millennia ago. See what makes them as appealing now as they were then, and how to make them your own.
Light fantastic
An interior courtyard under an open or glass roof delivers daylight and sunshine in a moving light show, as the angle of the sun changes. Light carries into the spaces wrapped around a courtyard too. This reduces lighting costs if surrounding rooms have minimal glazing to the outside and need artificial lighting in the daytime.
An interior courtyard under an open or glass roof delivers daylight and sunshine in a moving light show, as the angle of the sun changes. Light carries into the spaces wrapped around a courtyard too. This reduces lighting costs if surrounding rooms have minimal glazing to the outside and need artificial lighting in the daytime.
Tranquil transitions
Designing a modern extension to an old house poses a question for architects – how best to link old and new for a seamless transition. An elegant solution is a semi-enclosed courtyard that creates a pause between the two parts of the house. A mini Japanese-style garden, enclosed with glass and louvres, appealed to the owners of this Sydney terrace. It provides a sense of tranquility throughout the home, with warm timber, a still reflecting pool, and a Japanese bamboo shishi-odoshi.
Designing a modern extension to an old house poses a question for architects – how best to link old and new for a seamless transition. An elegant solution is a semi-enclosed courtyard that creates a pause between the two parts of the house. A mini Japanese-style garden, enclosed with glass and louvres, appealed to the owners of this Sydney terrace. It provides a sense of tranquility throughout the home, with warm timber, a still reflecting pool, and a Japanese bamboo shishi-odoshi.
Stepping from a busy street through the front gate into an enclosed courtyard is a clever way to transition from the world outside into peace and privacy. A stroll across giant stepping stones over a pool flanked by aquatic plants and a splashing waterfall is a beautiful welcome to this home.
Street-smart style
Antony Martin of MRTN Architects has dubbed this Melbourne project the Fairfield Hacienda, a reference to traditional Mexican courtyard architecture. Although enclosed by four walls, this courtyard at the north-facing street frontage has glassless apertures in the walls, giving partial public connection. “The owners enjoy the social and community interaction this offers. It’s their most loved and used space,” says Martin.
Modern materials – exposed concrete walls and split stone paving – make a casual and textural setting for the family’s outdoor activities. The owners planted a Chinese elm, vines and creepers that will soon ‘green’ the courtyard.
Antony Martin of MRTN Architects has dubbed this Melbourne project the Fairfield Hacienda, a reference to traditional Mexican courtyard architecture. Although enclosed by four walls, this courtyard at the north-facing street frontage has glassless apertures in the walls, giving partial public connection. “The owners enjoy the social and community interaction this offers. It’s their most loved and used space,” says Martin.
Modern materials – exposed concrete walls and split stone paving – make a casual and textural setting for the family’s outdoor activities. The owners planted a Chinese elm, vines and creepers that will soon ‘green’ the courtyard.
Martin comments, “A common design problem occurs when the northern exposure of a site faces the street. An enclosed courtyard between the street and the house fits perfectly with such a site.”
The courtyard has a sleek minimal look from the street and acts as a visual filter to the interior. At night, the house lights throw the angles and openings of the walls into striking silhouette.
The courtyard has a sleek minimal look from the street and acts as a visual filter to the interior. At night, the house lights throw the angles and openings of the walls into striking silhouette.
Green screens
An indoor courtyard acts as a ‘soft’ divider between spaces with different functions. As well as a streetfront courtyard, Fairfield Hacienda has a tiny three-metre-square glassed-in space in the heart of the house. Filled with plants, it’s a green oasis dividing living and sleeping spaces, and eventually, the bedroom wings from each other. “The rear of the house is divided into a parents’ wing and a children’s wing,” says Martin. “These wings are wrapped around the central courtyard, physically separating them, but maintaining visual connection.”
Browse more hallway design ideas
An indoor courtyard acts as a ‘soft’ divider between spaces with different functions. As well as a streetfront courtyard, Fairfield Hacienda has a tiny three-metre-square glassed-in space in the heart of the house. Filled with plants, it’s a green oasis dividing living and sleeping spaces, and eventually, the bedroom wings from each other. “The rear of the house is divided into a parents’ wing and a children’s wing,” says Martin. “These wings are wrapped around the central courtyard, physically separating them, but maintaining visual connection.”
Browse more hallway design ideas
A cool reception
Interior courtyard architecture has traditionally developed in warmer regions. One of the benefits of an open or semi-open internal space is its ability to thermally moderate the whole building. It brings fresh air in and promotes passive cooling at night, reducing the overall temperature. Martin says, “It acts like a ‘lung’ in the centre of the house, providing natural light and a high degree of ventilation control by drawing air from the front or back of the plan as required.” Maximum cooling is achieved with cross ventilation through opposite or adjacent windows, doors or passageways.
A pretty indoor/outdoor spot in this Gold Coast home is filled with filtered natural light and calming cool whites and greens from vegetation and white pebbles and pavers. The white brick latticework wall is La Paloma ‘Miro’ from Austral Bricks.
Interior courtyard architecture has traditionally developed in warmer regions. One of the benefits of an open or semi-open internal space is its ability to thermally moderate the whole building. It brings fresh air in and promotes passive cooling at night, reducing the overall temperature. Martin says, “It acts like a ‘lung’ in the centre of the house, providing natural light and a high degree of ventilation control by drawing air from the front or back of the plan as required.” Maximum cooling is achieved with cross ventilation through opposite or adjacent windows, doors or passageways.
A pretty indoor/outdoor spot in this Gold Coast home is filled with filtered natural light and calming cool whites and greens from vegetation and white pebbles and pavers. The white brick latticework wall is La Paloma ‘Miro’ from Austral Bricks.
Art spaces
An internal courtyard is wide open as a mini-gallery for wall art, feature furniture and outdoor sculpture. The abundance of natural light that floods in from overhead calls attention to shapes and colours. Overhead light animates the laser-cut maple leaf stencil screen on the wall of this converted warehouse in inner-city Sydney. A maple tree was planted to complement the background art, thriving under sunshine from angled sky windows.
An internal courtyard is wide open as a mini-gallery for wall art, feature furniture and outdoor sculpture. The abundance of natural light that floods in from overhead calls attention to shapes and colours. Overhead light animates the laser-cut maple leaf stencil screen on the wall of this converted warehouse in inner-city Sydney. A maple tree was planted to complement the background art, thriving under sunshine from angled sky windows.
Keeping courtyard decor sympathetic with adjoining spaces, the interior of this elegant Melbourne home has design flair galore. An abstract metal garden sculpture, pared-back colour palette and ultra-modern sling-back chairs for lounging reflect the modern interiors.
Tricks to make your walled courtyard look bigger
Tricks to make your walled courtyard look bigger
Nurture from nature
Connecting a house surrounded on all sides by other buildings with the natural world is possibly the most crucial role of an interior green space. Urban living has its charms, but its fast pace needs the antidote that only nature provides. The Japanese, living in some of the highest-density cities in the world, understand well how natural elements balance busy lives and create inner serenity.
While this is not a typical Japanese home, an interior courtyard shows the simplicity, openness, asymmetry and balance between curves and lines that give Japanese gardens their almost spiritual, meditative grace. As well as an interior courtyard, this home incorporates a rooftop vegie and flower garden.
Connecting a house surrounded on all sides by other buildings with the natural world is possibly the most crucial role of an interior green space. Urban living has its charms, but its fast pace needs the antidote that only nature provides. The Japanese, living in some of the highest-density cities in the world, understand well how natural elements balance busy lives and create inner serenity.
While this is not a typical Japanese home, an interior courtyard shows the simplicity, openness, asymmetry and balance between curves and lines that give Japanese gardens their almost spiritual, meditative grace. As well as an interior courtyard, this home incorporates a rooftop vegie and flower garden.
David Ponting of Auckland architecture firm, Ponting Fitzgerald, commented on the advantages of a private interior space: “Where a site is surrounded by neighbouring houses and vulnerable to winds on three sides, as in this home, a courtyard offers essential privacy and shelter. The ability to provide natural light and ventilation is vital for healthy living.”
The sunlight angles constantly shift throughout the day, and, says Ponting, “it becomes almost a body clock for the owners, a subconscious way of connecting to the sky, the clouds and other natural elements.”
The central grassed area is edged with honed concrete and pebbles, with a simple palm composition adjacent to a basalt water feature.
The sunlight angles constantly shift throughout the day, and, says Ponting, “it becomes almost a body clock for the owners, a subconscious way of connecting to the sky, the clouds and other natural elements.”
The central grassed area is edged with honed concrete and pebbles, with a simple palm composition adjacent to a basalt water feature.
The last thing to expect in a converted city warehouse is a luxuriant poolside courtyard garden. Contrasting with the robust industrial structural and decorative materials, this soothing space is an unexpected breath of fresh air. Bold sculptural plants in a variety of pots and hanging from beams create a green retreat for its Clovelly owners.
Water for wellbeing
The remedy for stress is simple – just add water. Up the serenity level in an interior courtyard with a water feature; in a big or small inner space, the presence of water works its subtle, relaxing magic, whether a gently trickling fountain or a pond with brilliantly coloured fish, as in this inner-city Sydney courtyard. Lights within the pond transform the area at night into an aquatic wonderland.
The remedy for stress is simple – just add water. Up the serenity level in an interior courtyard with a water feature; in a big or small inner space, the presence of water works its subtle, relaxing magic, whether a gently trickling fountain or a pond with brilliantly coloured fish, as in this inner-city Sydney courtyard. Lights within the pond transform the area at night into an aquatic wonderland.
The last word in luxury for many busy people is a bath with a garden attached. Looking at this stunning indoor/outdoor space in a Hawaiian retreat, it’s not as unachievable as you may think. A wall of doors folds back to allow a lush tropical garden in a narrow paved courtyard to enhance a decadent and soul-soothing bath-time ritual.
TELL US
Does the idea of an internal courtyard appeal to you? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
MORE
Browse more courtyard design ideas
TELL US
Does the idea of an internal courtyard appeal to you? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
MORE
Browse more courtyard design ideas
Because of its long cultural evolution, no precise definition of a courtyard exists. Way back, it was an uncovered space within a building to let smoke out, but has changed over time to be covered, semi-covered, or with an adjustable roof. It is commonly surrounded by walls or barriers and contains elements of nature.
An internal courtyard is a great multi-tasker that can deliver eco-efficiency gains. Spacious ones cater for family entertaining activities; smaller ones hold seats or plantings; and some are pocket-sized sanctuaries for solitary contemplation. They provide privacy, and are quiet and safe play areas, refuges from a fast-paced world. These homes show what makes a courtyard such a useful and beautiful addition to modern lifestyles.