The Courtyard is the Core: The House is Built Around a Void

A Spanish Revival house organized around a central courtyard. Looking out from the interior, through an arched opening, is a square courtyard enclosed by four sides of the building. In the center is a low stone-built water trough or fountain with calm water, surrounded by terracotta paving and a few citrus or olive trees. The main rooms all open towards this courtyard, while the exterior walls have only small windows. Thus, the indoor light and views are directed inwards, making the courtyard the center of the entire home. Avoid: orienting main openings towards external streets, making the courtyard a decorative patio without water, covering the courtyard with a glass roof, using large floor-toceiling windows instead of arched openings.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一個以中庭組織的西班牙復興住宅。從室內看出去,穿過一道拱形開口就是一個被四面建築圍住的方形庭院,中央有一座低矮的石砌水槽或噴泉,水面平靜,周圍是赤陶鋪面與幾株柑橘或橄欖。主要的房間都朝向這個庭院開口,對外的牆則只有小窗。因此室內的光與視線都是向內的,庭院是整個家的中心。避免:把主要開口朝向外部街道、把庭院做成沒有水的裝飾性天井、讓庭院被玻璃屋頂覆蓋、使用大面落地窗取代拱形開口。