It’s a delicate balance so many people building homes grapple with. How do you get a spacious home without sacrificing yard size, and how do you get a space to enjoy the elements without sacrificing the size of your home? How do you get the best of both worlds?
It’s no secret that block sizes are shrinking, making it harder for homeowners to create spaces to soak in the sun, take in the breeze, and enjoy the landscape with enough room for family and friends.
This is where courtyard homes step into the spotlight with a contemporary twist on a traditional design, changing the way you live indoors and out.
What is a courtyard home?
Courtyard homes feature an internal courtyard typically enclosed using the home’s walls, accessible from multiple areas and rooms in the home, and integrated into a square or rectangular floorplan.
Courtyard homes work with the size and orientation of your block, the elements, your home’s aesthetics, and your lifestyle needs. Here’s how!
1. Working with the sun
In a dream world, we’d all have a block with the perfect orientation where the sun hits all the right places at the right time of day. Courtyard plans are the next best thing, and work with a huge variety of orientations to harness the sun. A cleverly designed courtyard plan – such as our newly launched Kensington 230 – allows the sun to radiate through every connected space, filling your home with brilliant light and cozy warmth.
2. Working with the space
Smaller blocks don’t have to mean you look out a window and enjoy the lovely view of a timber fence. Courtyards make the most of your block by working in with your floorplan, block size, and orientation. They provide a landscaped outdoor oasis seamlessly integrated with your indoor living areas, giving you the perfect spot to entertain, read a book in the sun, or just soak in nature.
3. Working with the elements
Geelong residents are well-acquainted with the ‘four seasons in one day’ weather patterns that fill our skies throughout the year. One minute, you’re enjoying the warm rays of an Autumn sun, the next, you’re shoving your car in the garage whilst being pelted with a random shower of hail. Courtyard plans cleverly use the solid structure of your home as walls and shelter from the unpredictable elements, so you don’t have to check the radar every five minutes before a BBQ.
4. Working with aesthetics
Practical benefits aside, courtyard plans can elevate the aesthetic of a home in a way that fits your location, your interior design, and your personal tastes. The possibilities of this space stretch as far as your imagination, and could come to life as an area with:
• An entertainment space with a fireplace and pizza oven (prepare for lots of envious noses popping over the fence)
• A tropical paradise filled with stunning plants and cozy seating
• A stone garden with a table and chairs to have your morning coffee at
• A grassed area where your kids can play, and you can create memories
5. Working with lifestyle
No matter what your lifestyle looks like – kids, home office, or open-door entertainer – courtyard plans work with a connectedness unique to their design. Your courtyard can be accessible from your kitchen, living area, master bedroom, office, or any which way that suits your lifestyle, and can function in any way you need it. Its versatility allows it to act as an outdoor dining area, a play space for kids, an entertaining area for guests, and everything in between to serve your lifestyle.
