For thousands of years, people across different cultures and continents have carved out space for internal courtyards, and when you consider their advantages it’s not surprising. From classical Roman architecture to Mexican-style hacienda homes and peaceful Japanese interior courtyards, these enduring architectural elements are now being re-imagined in contemporary and enterprising ways.
If you’re interested in ‘holding court’ in your own home, here’s everything you need to know about their advantages and disadvantages, weight and waterproofing factors, costs and the best time to incorporate them into your residential design.
Brion Jeannette Architecture
Joe Sidoti, director of SQ Projects, knows the ins and outs of internal courtyards from personal and professional experience – he incorporated one into his own home, pictured below. With an old warehouse in Sydney’s Inner West, Sidoti sought inspiration and advice from Christopher Grinham, director at Humphrey and Edwards Architects, when designing this indoor-outdoor space.
SQ Projects
“It was essential that we achieved outdoor space within the footprint of our warehouse, as it is built to all boundaries,” says Sidoti. “Our courtyard is an integral space in the house and connected to a lot of areas on the ground floor. We also ensured it was connected to upstairs areas to assist in light and ventilation. Not a day goes by when we don’t open up all the doors and enjoy the courtyard.”
Take a virtual tour of Sidoti’s industrial warehouse conversion
SQ Projects
What kinds of properties do internal courtyards suit?
Interior courtyards can be incorporated into many different types of houses and, during the initial design phase, even the occasional apartment. “They are most suited to projects where land size is limited and the building footprint either extends to or is close to boundaries,” says Sidoti. “This is often the case on inner-city sites, warehouse conversions, skinny sites and terrace extensions. The days of a backyard and front yard connected to houses simply via a single door are long gone, and the connection between indoor living and outdoor living is now much stronger,” he says.
SQ Projects
Types of interior courtyards
There is no singular style when it comes to internal courtyards. You’ll find covered, uncovered and partially covered. Some are paved, others use timber decking, many are planted and others are pebbled. Some internal courtyards are fully surrounded by rooms while others, such as Sidoti’s, are bordered by both interior and exterior walls. Many are rectilinear and a few are curved. Some rest on the ground floor and others teeter on higher levels. Some are built for privacy and others constitute a public space.
“Selections for finishes, materials and landscaping are varied and are best driven by closely considering the function and desired aesthetic of the area,” says Sidoti.
Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
What are the advantages of interior courtyards?
Because internal courtyards are so closely connected to a home’s interior, their easy access encourages more frequent use. These indoor-outdoor zones also increase natural ventilation and, if cleverly designed, can help stabilise interior temperatures and reduce the cost of power bills. In many homes, internal courtyards provide an outdoor area that may otherwise not be possible to build.
“Internal courtyards can also greatly assist in bringing light into areas of a building that may otherwise not receive sufficient levels of natural light,” says Sidoti.
Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
What are the disadvantages of internal courtyards?
Although it’s not a deal breaker, interior courtyards require a certain level of maintenance and cleaning, because they’re open to the elements. If yours is home to deciduous plants, you may find yourself sweeping up leaves that blow inside. And if it’s uncovered, there’s a higher chance wet feet will leave footprints on your floor when it rains.
“Often the area of an internal courtyard will need to come at the expense of enclosed internal floor space – so use the space wisely,” says Sidoti. “That said, we believe the advantages can far outweigh the disadvantages.”
The Beauty of Modern Interior Courtyards
Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
What about waterproofing?
Free drainage of rainwater and irrigation is critical. “Relying purely on the performance of waterproofing membranes without complementing with falls and well-designed and installed drainage paths is a mistake that is often made,” says Sidoti.
“Any vegetated areas over solid structures need to be installed over drainage cell, geotextile fabric and protection of the waterproof membrane below. This achieves a separation between the membrane and the soil. Sub-soil drainage of permeable areas should also be installed – the last thing a homeowner wants is an internal courtyard that does not drain well after rain.”
Dulux Paint
Is weight an issue?
Weight is less of an issue if your interior courtyard is located at ground level, though you will still need to take it into account. If you are interested in incorporating an interior courtyard, Sidoti recommends consulting a structural engineer as well as your architect, particularly if you want to landscape the area with plants.
“People are often surprised at how much depth of healthy soil is needed to accommodate landscaping,” says Sidoti. “Deep planting requires a 900-millimetre depth of soil and shallow planting needs a minimum depth of 300 millimetres. These are considerable loads and should be accommodated by a structural engineer.”
elaine richardson architect
Can I build an interior courtyard above ground level?
“It is more challenging to achieve internal courtyards on levels other than the ground level of a house, but not impossible,” says Sidoti. He recommends people carefully consider waterproofing and drainage as well as structural implications of any planter beds no later than at the initial design phase.
“If these are not considered at design stage with the structural engineer and architect together, it is often too difficult to incorporate at a later stage,” he says. “Deep planting also imposes substantial loads on building structures. Don’t leave it until the end to decide where you want to do planting on upper levels – it may be too late, and you want healthy vegetation.”
elaine richardson architect
Choosing the right plants
Speaking of vegetation, you’ll thank yourself in years to come if you put some thought now into the plants you want – if any – and which suit your site. If you’re hankering for a tree or two, your landscape architect may need to install a root barrier to protect underground plumbing or foundations. An irrigation system will keep your plants healthy too.
The options are endless when it comes to landscaping, so consider whether you want low-maintenance greenery, trees or plants for shade, climbers to cover walls, flowers to pick, ground cover, edibles, natives, deciduous or evergreen species.
Browse gardening stories to see what plants might suit you
Brickworks Building Products
Is it expensive to build an internal courtyard?
Like every design project, it’s impossible to generalise on how much internal courtyards cost to build because every project is different. Some projects involve demolition, others extensions, most are renovations, while others are brand-new builds. The good news, however, is that as a general rule of thumb, interior courtyards usually cost less per square metre than the price per square metre of a normal enclosed building. “It could cost as little as $10,000 to complete a small lightwell internal courtyard,” says Sidoti, advising that the price is entirely project specific.
Scale Architecture
When should an interior courtyard be incorporated into a design?
If you have visions of an internal courtyard gracing your floor plan, the best time to incorporate one is during the initial concept design phase. Leave it any later than that and the chances of running into some nasty surprises or structural issues will increase. The project cost will also mount if you need to go back to the drawing board. “Careful consideration during design stage and collaborative work with your builder can assist in addressing possible problems that can arise, and which generally relate to waterproofing issues,” says Sidoti.
Davis Architects
So whether you’re flirting with the idea of a peaceful, private repose or an open, sweeping space shared by many rooms, there is an internal courtyard to suit almost every home. It’s time to break out… literally.
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