Interior courtyards filled with indoor trees and greenery create a tranquil, peaceful atmosphere. For our latest lookbook, we've collected ten homes from the Dezeen archive with beautiful courtyards at the heart of the interior.
Interior courtyards are mostly found in homes in warmer climates, where they help create a connection to the outdoors while bringing more light and air inside.
Adding trees and green plants to the courtyards make for decorative spaces that also function as sheltered miniature gardens.
The homes in this lookbook are spread out across the globe, from Israel to Japan and Mexico, but all feature soothing courtyard rooms filled with plants.
This is the latest roundup in ourDezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous lookbooks feature modernist living rooms, original hotel bathrooms and spacious kitchen extensions.
Courtyard House, US, by No Architecture
This home in the Willamette Valley wine country in Oregon was designed around a glazed garden filled with native deciduous trees.
As well as being decorative, the courtyard helps with the heating and cooling of the house by increasing passive solar heating in the winter and stimulating passive cooling and natural ventilation in the summer.
Find out more about Courtyard House ›
Casa UC, Mexico, by Daniela Bucio Sistos
Mexican architect Daniela Bucio Sistos's design for Casa UC in Morelia features pigmented concrete and brick, as well as a central inner courtyard that has its own disc-shaped canopy.
A Momoqui tree (Caesalpinia pluviosa) that sits at the centre of the courtyard, surrounded by plants, lends the modernist house a more organic feel.
Find out more about Casa UC ›
Host House, US, by Kipp Edick and Joe Sadoski
The wooden Host House in Utah is clad in cedar planks and surrounded by trees. This focus on nature continues inside, where an inner courtyard holds a small tree.
Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, the central opening helps to add light to the interior.
"The client was a very private individual who supported a design approach that located the glazing in specific zones of the house to provide ample daylight and privacy," the architects said.
Find out more about Host House ›
Carlton House, Australia, by Reddaway Architects
A small internal courtyard holds an Acer, or Japanese maple tree, planted amongst ground-covering greenery and practical stepping stones that let the owners cut through to different parts of Carlton House in Melbourne.
The courtyard is part of a timber extension that Reddaway Architects added to an Edwardian-style brick building. As well as the courtyard, added skylights help give the new space a bright feel.
Find out more about Carlton House ›
Neve Tzedek townhouse, Israel, by Meirav Galan
This townhouse in Tel Aviv's oldest neighbourhood (above and top image) was given a refresh by architect Meirav Galan, who added a glass-clad secret courtyard.
The triple-height courtyard rises through the building and holds Mediterranean plants that help create a tranquil centre space. A small seating area adds to the relaxed feel and lets the owners make more use of the indoor garden.
Find out more about Neve Tzedek ›
F Residence, Japan, by Gosize
Gosize's design for F Residence in Hyōgo, Japan, features large openings centred around a courtyard with a minimalist pond and rough stone that extends into the living space.
The home, which has a spartan, peaceful feel, was designed with a high concrete wall next to the double-height courtyard to create more privacy.
The combination of the calm feel and the privacy of the home helped to influence the design of the house in BBC drama The Girl Before, which draws on F Residence's design.
Find out more about F Residence ›
Wall House, Vietnam, by CTA
Designs that perfectly blend the indoors and the outdoors are seen in many Vietnamese houses, and Wall House in Bien Hoa is an especially striking example.
The multi-generational family home has hole-punctured bricks that let sunlight and air in, and an expansive living area that has the feel of an indoor courtyard. This features an array of leafy greens and trees that have been planted around the periphery of the room.
Find out more about Wall House ›
Clinton Hill Courtyard House, US, by O'Neill McVoy Architects
A 19th-century brick townhouse in Brooklyn was given skylights and a courtyard by O'Neill McVoy Architects as part of a complete redesign.
The studio created a "light garden" at the centre of the family home. Sliding glass walls with mahogany frames surround the 18-square-metre garden, which is landscaped with black river rocks, a dogwood tree and climbing vines.
Find out more about Clinton Hill Courtyard House ›
Ruxton Rise Residence, Australia, by Studio Four
Studio Four created Ruxton Rise Residence for its own co-director, Sarah Henry, designing a grey-brick home centred around a courtyard planted with olive trees.
The open-air courtyard was created to acts as an additional room in the house, where its inhabitants can take advantage of the mild Melbourne weather. All communal spaces in the house face the courtyard, which connects the living spaces and provides a "calming effect."
Find out more about Ruxton Rise Residence ›
Casa Once, Mexico, by Espacio 18 and Cueto
Mexican architecture firmsEspacio 18 and Cueto added an internal courtyard and a rooftop patio to this Mexican townhouse to make the most of a small site.
As the home takes up the entire buildable area, the interior courtyard was added to give the owners a bit of outdoor space. Double-height glazed walls surround the decked patio, which has an acacia tree in the middle that blooms with bright purple flowers in the springtime.
Find out more about Casa Once ›
This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing modernist living rooms, original hotel bathrooms and spacious kitchen extensions.
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I can provide information and insights on a wide range of topics, including the concept of interior courtyards and their use in creating tranquil and peaceful atmospheres within homes. I can also discuss the benefits of incorporating trees and greenery into these courtyards, as well as provide details about specific homes featured in the Dezeen lookbook that showcase beautiful interior courtyards.
Interior courtyards are architectural features found in homes, particularly in warmer climates, that serve as a connection to the outdoors while bringing in more light and air. These courtyards are often filled with trees and green plants, creating decorative spaces that also function as sheltered miniature gardens. The presence of indoor trees and greenery contributes to a calming and soothing atmosphere within these courtyards.
Now, let's take a closer look at some of the homes featured in the Dezeen lookbook:
Courtyard House, US, by No Architecture
- Located in the Willamette Valley wine country in Oregon, this home was designed around a glazed garden filled with native deciduous trees.
- The courtyard not only serves as a decorative element but also helps with the heating and cooling of the house by increasing passive solar heating in the winter and stimulating passive cooling and natural ventilation in the summer .
Casa UC, Mexico, by Daniela Bucio Sistos
- Designed by Mexican architect Daniela Bucio Sistos, Casa UC in Morelia features pigmented concrete and brick, as well as a central inner courtyard with its own disc-shaped canopy.
- The courtyard is adorned with a Momoqui tree (Caesalpinia pluviosa) surrounded by plants, lending the modernist house a more organic feel.
Host House, US, by Kipp Edick and Joe Sadoski
- The wooden Host House in Utah is clad in cedar planks and surrounded by trees. Inside, an inner courtyard holds a small tree.
- Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, the central opening helps to add light to the interior, while maintaining privacy for the client.
Carlton House, Australia, by Reddaway Architects
- Carlton House in Melbourne features a small internal courtyard with an Acer, or Japanese maple tree, planted among ground-covering greenery and practical stepping stones.
- The courtyard is part of a timber extension added by Reddaway Architects to an Edwardian-style brick building, and skylights further enhance the bright feel of the new space.
Neve Tzedek townhouse, Israel, by Meirav Galan
- Architect Meirav Galan refreshed this townhouse in Tel Aviv's oldest neighborhood by adding a glass-clad secret courtyard.
- The triple-height courtyard rises through the building and holds Mediterranean plants, creating a tranquil center space. A small seating area adds to the relaxed feel and allows the owners to make more use of the indoor garden.
F Residence, Japan, by Gosize
- F Residence in Hyōgo, Japan, features large openings centered around a courtyard with a minimalist pond and rough stone that extends into the living space.
- The home's design, characterized by a spartan and peaceful feel, influenced the design of the house in the BBC drama "The Girl Before".
Wall House, Vietnam, by CTADesigns
- Wall House in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, seamlessly blends the indoors and outdoors, with hole-punctured bricks that let sunlight and air in.
- The expansive living area has the feel of an indoor courtyard, featuring an array of leafy greens and trees planted around the periphery of the room .
Clinton Hill Courtyard House, US, by O'Neill McVoy Architects
- O'Neill McVoy Architects redesigned a 19th-century brick townhouse in Brooklyn, adding skylights and a courtyard.
- The studio created a "light garden" at the center of the family home, surrounded by sliding glass walls with mahogany frames. The landscaped garden includes black river rocks, a dogwood tree, and climbing vines.
Ruxton Rise Residence, Australia, by Studio Four
- Studio Four designed Ruxton Rise Residence in Melbourne, a grey-brick home centered around a courtyard planted with olive trees.
- The open-air courtyard acts as an additional room in the house, allowing the inhabitants to take advantage of the mild Melbourne weather. All communal spaces in the house face the courtyard, providing a calming effect.
Casa Once, Mexico, by Espacio 18 and Cueto
- Mexican architecture firms Espacio 18 and Cueto added an internal courtyard and a rooftop patio to this Mexican townhouse to make the most of a small site.
- The interior courtyard was added to give the owners a bit of outdoor space, and the decked patio is surrounded by double-height glazed walls. An acacia tree in the middle of the patio blooms with bright purple flowers in the springtime.
These are just a few examples of homes that feature interior courtyards with beautiful greenery and trees at their heart. The use of indoor trees and greenery in these courtyards not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also creates a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere within the homes.
Please note that the information provided above is based on search results and snippets from various sources.
