Islamic Courtyards: Irrigation and Drainage

A plan showing the water channels. Water enters from a high-level source, is diverted through a main channel to four flower beds, each with a small, openable gate at its entrance. The paving has a very gentle slope for drainage, directing water towards the flower beds and collection wells; rainwater is not discharged externally but retained within the courtyard. Avoid: making the water channels decorative without a source or destination, making the paving completely horizontal and prone to ponding, directly draining rainwater through floor drains, ignoring the mechanisms of gates and diversion.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一張看得見水路的平面。水從高處的水源進入,經過主渠分流到四塊花床,每塊的入口有可以開關的小閘;鋪面有極緩的洩水坡度導向花床與集水井,雨水不外排而是留在院內。避免:把水渠做成沒有源頭與去處的裝飾、鋪面做成完全水平積水、雨水以地漏直接排走、忽略閘門與分流的機構。