The Courtyard House
A three-storey family home reorganised around a planted courtyard that pulls daylight deep into every floor.
Brief
The family wanted a home that felt open without giving up privacy. The existing plan was a run of dark rooms off a corridor, so we removed the middle of the house and inserted a courtyard.
Living, dining and kitchen now wrap around the courtyard, borrowing light from three sides. Upstairs, the bedrooms look inward over the planting rather than out to the street.
We wanted a house that would be quiet in the day and glowing at night. It does exactly that.
Materials are deliberately few: sal wood, lime plaster, terrazzo and blackened steel. Each is used in its honest state so the house will age well.
Details
- Custom terrazzo floor with local marble aggregate
- Lime-plastered walls throughout
- Passive ventilation via courtyard stack effect
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