central courtyard
Building's open heart
A central courtyard is an open-air space enclosed by the walls or wings of a building, serving as a focal point for the surrounding structure.
Common in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Spanish colonial architecture, it typically provides light, ventilation, and a private outdoor area: The hotel rooms all faced the central courtyard with its fountain and orange trees.
- atriumRoofed central hall
- patioPaved outdoor living space
- cloisterCovered monastic walkway
- plazaPublic open square
- quadrangleFour-sided figure or courtyard
fountain · colonnade · garden · private garden · orange trees · tiles · sunlight · afternoon light · shade · well · arches · wrought iron · Spanish colonial · loggia · terracotta · bougainvillea · tiled floor · whispers
central courtyardouter wall
Exterior vertical boundary
perimeter · outbuilding · boundary fence · outer edge · back lot
central courtyardwindowless room
basement · cellar · interior room · attic · open field
central courtyardhallway
Interior connecting passage
corridor · passageway · thoroughfare · stairwell · breezeway
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