The courtyard is essentially an open outdoor area which is surrounded and enclosed by walls or a building. In residential properties they provide peaceful, protected spaces where people can enjoy the outdoors in privacy; they can also serve as communal spaces for people who live in apartment buildings and housing complexes, offering a space where communities can come together. When used in commercial and public buildings, they can be used as a space to hold meetings and events. They also provide ventilation and allow natural light to permeate around an entire building, creating an open, bright and airy atmosphere.

Courtyards have played a prominent role in architecture across the world for centuries, particularly in China, where they are an essential part of many typical homes. They are still relevant in contemporary architecture thanks to their timeless grace and the many beneficial properties they bring to a site. When working on our recent Court project in Linyi, China, we incorporated a traditional courtyard layout combined with a modern and innovative approach.

Court is a housing and hotel complex featuring low-level blocks arranged around a central court, where there are also smaller individual houses. In the centre of the site is a large water feature surrounded by trees, which add privacy as well as giving a tranquil and natural atmosphere throughout the entire site. The housing blocks were kept relatively low at seven storeys in order to preserve an open, peaceful feeling of pavilions and landscape.

As always, light was an essential consideration for us in the execution of this project. Parts of the buildings feature copper on their facades which has been enhanced with CNC-cut filigree patterns, producing unique and intriguing effects as the light changes throughout the day. Copper was chosen because of the warm, golden glow it provides as the sun sets, and because it will develop even more character as time goes by and the metal develops a patina.