Courtyards have been common in architectural designs globally over the centuries. They are particularly common in places with hotter climates, including India. Adding a courtyard to a house can have different purposes. It invites natural light that can rejuvenate the residents and the plants inside. A courtyard also encourages air movements. Since it is an open space, it allows breezes to enter the building, cooling the space especially during summer. 

Located on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, the Courtyard House sits on 45,000 square feet of land and was designed by MODO Designs. The owner wanted an open house with four bedrooms, a living, study, and entertainment area. That is why the conceptual layout of the design team started with layouts with courtyards and semi-open verandah spaces. 

Since the owner and his father will only be the ones staying and the daughter would be visiting at times, the team opted for openness over closed secured spaces. The house is an amalgamation of a series of courtyards, such as an entry court, a central court, a dining area court, a shower court, and a pool court making it a very open house allowing natural elements within.

The ground floor is organized around the central courtyard which is an interpretation of the traditional typology of haveli houses of Ahmedabad. However, the contemporary expression is through a series of peripheral courts that allows the central court to connect outside and have an extrovert character. The central court is surrounded by a study area, kitchen and dining area, living area, owner’s bedroom, guest bedroom, and father’s bedroom, while the upper floor is lighter with only the entertainment area and owner’s daughter’s room. The upper terraces overlooking the garden have sit-out spaces in continuation to the entertainment area. The form is visually lighter from the north garden with upper-level mass receding.

The central court and pool court have an operable roof to open or close when desired while the peripheral courts are all open with dense plantations. The material palette is informal and cozy, with roughened black Marquina marble flooring in most spaces and lava stone in the central court. The house uses reclaimed wood extensively which along with the black marble flooring in interior spaces gives a warm and dark mystical ambiance to the spaces. The walls comprise rough wood patterned concrete, lime coat, and wood paneling. The interior has a mix of Western contemporary furniture and customized Indian contemporary furniture.

Photography from MODO Designs

Descriptions by the Architect