Courtyard

 “THE INWARD BOX” is a contemporary reinterpretation of Meybod’s vernacular architecture, proposing a residential typology for hot–arid climates.  In Iranian architecture, inwardness and outwardness have historically structured domestic organization; in Meybod, climate fostered inward-oriented courtyard houses with program arranged around a central void. Beyond mitigating heat and solar gain, this model functioned as a cultural mechanism regulating privacy, visibility, and the public–private gradient. In recent decades, under modern urbanization and the International Style’s emphasis on transparency and openness, this spatial logic has undergone transformation, generating climatic and cultural... More

Solum is a framework for creating holistic micro-communities. It is a flexible and adaptable planning model that bridges between suburban and urban environments. It focuses on mixed-use courtyard clusters that prioritize the pedestrian to promote walkability, social connectivity, and authentic patterns of living. Black Rabbit Black Rabbit Caption   More

Circle is a Spatial Work by Fausto Ferrara, conceived in Berlin as a private gallery for an international client. The Work adopts circular geometry not as an autonomous image or symbol, but as a principle capable of establishing a precise relationship between body, movement, void, light and time. A continuous perimeter surrounds and protects a central space open to the sky, transforming the gallery into an experience structured through circumambulation. The visitor does not simply move through a sequence of rooms, but is led around a centre. The central void becomes the measure of the entire architecture, while the circular path continuously alters distance, orientation, light and the perception of the artworks. Circle therefore does not... More

Perched six feet above the sidewalk on a sloped lot in Lakewood Hills, Dallas, Casa Loma is a home built around an act of preservation. At its center is a courtyard conceived entirely to protect an existing tree — its canopy casting shifting light and shadow through the day, connecting the interior life of the house to the landscape that preceded it. Becca Lee The design reads from the street as a composition of stacked volumes: dark brick with deliberately shifting hues, cementitious panel, and warm wood siding. Each material was chosen for its dialogue with the neighborhood's earthy tones while asserting a distinctly contemporary character. Inside, the brick continues uninterrupted from exterior to interior — a cohesion... More

33 Franklin Street is a mixed-use residential and commercial development located in the heart of Greenpoint, Brooklyn our studio’s home neighborhood. Situated on a 21,000-square-foot lot with three street frontages, the project is both an architectural response to its context and a forward-looking addition to the neighborhood fabric. From the earliest stages, our guiding concept was to activate Franklin Street with a generous, two-story opening leading to a landscaped courtyard. This space not only serves as the main entry for the commercial tenant and residential lobby but also creates a moment of pause and greenery within the dense urban streetscape. Heidi Solander Designing for three distinct street frontages meant each fa&cc... More

Set on a large plot in Talatona, Luanda, the school covers a gross floor area of 14,226 m², spread over three distinct volumes: the school and administrative building, the auditorium and sports hall, and staff accommodation. GV+A The layout respects the natural topography and green surroundings, resulting in a design of solids and voids that organizes the outdoor spaces, playground, and accesses. The main building, dedicated to teaching, is structured around a central atrium and interior courtyards, connecting classrooms, administrative areas, library, and support spaces. Circulation takes place in galleries, ensuring transparency and integration with the exterior. GV+A GV+A The auditorium, with a capacity for 212 seat... More

The new vocational school for construction trades is located in a central area of Zurich, Switzerland. Gunz & Künzle Architects designed the building to maximize the number of classrooms while also creating valuable public spaces for the neighborhood. The slender building follows the street and creates a spacious courtyard that connects to the public functions on the school's first floor. Federico Farinatti Federico Farinatti Federico Farinatti Federico Farinatti Federico Farinatti Federico Farinatti Federico Farinatti Federico Farinatti This piano nobile, which acts as a truss frame structure, is suspended over the gymnasiums that extend from the basement to the ground floor.  While th... More

In the 1970’s, a new highway was planned to encircle the metro Tucson area along the Pantano Wash. Christ Community Church purchased property along this new route, and had a new campus designed to encircle a tall prayer tower. Like many master plans, things didn’t pan out as planned. The highway was not built, and the prayer tower was never completed. Caption Through the years the church grew in size and in the campus buildings, but growth deviated from the original plan and took on a disorganized fashion, which the current congregation has to deal with on a daily basis. SDG was asked to help re-think the campus; what are the possibilities to redo parts of the campus while both preserving newer buildings, creating a sense... More

Project Vision and Site Insights Nestled between the Satpura and Vindhyachal mountain ranges in the Narmada district, Kevadiya is home to the 182m-tall Statue of Unity (SoU), which has transformed the region into a global tourism destination, driving socio-economic growth across a 100-km radius.  The proposed Kevadiya State Bhavan located near the SoU, on a scenic 73.85-acre site, is a monumental initiative by the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) to build a cultural and administrative hub that aligns with the principle of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” or “the world is one family.” The project brief integrates well all programs into unique experience for visitors that include State bhavans, Convention ce... More

Located in a wooded valley on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Sycamore Glen is a single-family home nestled among mature trees, overlooking Wister Creek. Bordered closely by neighboring houses to the west, the narrow site informed a linear organization and a careful balance of privacy, light, and views. Pix The house is structured around a series of parallel masonry walls that divide space, define rhythm, and extend beyond the envelope to articulate thresholds and terraces. A recessed entry, marked by a cantilevered overhang, leads to a quiet, compressed threshold before opening into a living and dining area that extends outward to a terrace surrounded by evergreen ferns. Pix A stepped glass façade on the eastern side conn... More

Situated on a big plot of land, we designed this home strategically on the site to capture expansive mountain views out the front of the house.  JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD Every day, their views are oriented towards to the mountains. Architectural style-wise, we use traditional mountain Architecture elements like stone, but made it modern with lots of big glass and lots of fireplaces. Our clients want a family home, yet one for entertaining. JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD JMAD We designed a casual Old World rambler, that flows from one gathering space to the next, connecting the interior to the exterior courtyards around the house. With its impressive stone exterior, we softened the inte... More

The brief for this Eastern Suburbs garden in Sydney was to create a contemporary multifunction courtyard garden. The client required a strong focus on privacy planting as well as a place to relax in a tropical resort style environment. The brief included low maintenance tropical planting as well as a practical space for their 2 large dogs.  Their urban townhouse garden was surrounded by neighbours with a double storey brick wall at the rear - screaming out for privacy. Deb Meyer The biggest design challenge was to achieve privacy planting in narrow new garden beds. This was achieved using fast growing non invasive Textilis Gracilis that grows 6-7m tall. This was coupled with lower lying tropical planting and clever usage of whit... More

The brief for the compact outdoor garden in Sydney's Inner West was to create a contemporary entertainers garden. The highligh was to be a contemporary industrial feel a place for weekend & night time entertaining with their friends. The secret to the success of this project was to simplify the material selection and focus on 3 key areas - Microconcrete flooring with limited visual joins, Spotted Gum carpentry for seating, privacy screens & garden beds, monocoloured fabrics on seat cushions & outdoor sofa. Jack Hibbert The biggest design challenge was access for both demolition & construction. There was no side access, so everything needed to go through the internal of the terrace. Fortunately the contractors were in... More

This holiday villa is located in the rural area of Pudong, Shanghai. The owner plans to demolish the old house and construct a new one to accommodate two families. When they return from urban life to the countryside, they can spend weekends and holidays with the grandparents. The extended family can gather together, enjoy the tranquility of rural life, and unwind in a natural setting. WM STUDIO WM STUDIO Our main design strategies include the following elements. “Green” is placed first. Although the site overlooks an orchard and has a ground area in front of the building area that could serve as a garden, we aim to weave greenery throughout the house to dissolve the boundaries and isolation between interior and exteri... More