The quiet return of the courtyard house

For most of history, city houses turned inward. Roman houses, Moorish palaces and Chinese siheyuan all arranged their rooms around an open court that brought in light and air while keeping the street at a distance.

Why now

On narrow urban plots, a courtyard solves problems a garden can’t. It brings daylight into the middle of a deep plan, gives every room a view of something green and creates outdoor space that isn’t overlooked.

Courts at every scale

At Linden Court, the court is shared by twelve houses. Elsewhere it might be a lightwell no bigger than a dining table, planted with a single tree. Both do the same job: they give a home a piece of sky it controls.

Living with one

Courtyards need thought: drainage, planting that copes with shade, and glazing that holds heat in winter. Done well, they become the room people remember.