Classic courtyards

Courtyards serve as social spaces apart from being sustainable. More and more architects are now looking at ways to introduce courtyards into modern homes, writes Lakshmi Unnithan Arvind

The origin of traditional Indian courtyards can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilisation. Climate and culture have always influenced the construction of different kinds of buildings in the passage of time.

Buildings with internal courtyards are considered to be the most appropriate in warm regions. Courtyard architecture originated as far back as 3000 BC in Egypt, Iran and China. The first courtyard houses, according to historical evidence, appeared to have originated in India probably around 6500-6000 BC.

When we meticulously assess different cultures, we can understand that the courtyard buildings were an integral part of the Chinese, Japanese, Spanish societies. With the shaping of various cultures, there occurred a transition from the public court to the private one.

The entry of the Islamic rulers (14th century) to the northern parts of India brought the key issue of treating the open space in buildings in such a way as to respond to the harsh realities of the weather in the region.

The advent of the British led to a remarkable change in the architectural style and the concept of the courtyard (18th century).

Reflection of society

Courtyards in India were not just an architecture style. They, it seems, were a way of life. Courtyards reflected the society of the time and controlled the character and atmosphere within the house. Courtyards exercised an authoritative or dominating influence over the environment inside the house. They helped people adjust to the extremes of summers and the freezing winters of the Indian subcontinent.

Courtyards have different names like nalukettu (the central courtyard surrounded with set of rooms) of Kerala, haveli of Rajasthan, wada houses of Gujarat, houses in pols of Ahmedabad, traditional houses of Goa, etc. The lay-out of the traditional (tharavadu) houses in Kerala was simple and designed to cater to a large number of people who lived in the joint family system.

Ettukettu (a duplication of the nalukettu with four courtyards) and pathinarukettu (a duplication of the ettulettu with four courtyards) were elaborate forms of the same architecture.

Every structure has provisions for sufficient sunlight and in some well designed nalukettus,  there was excellent ventilation. Temperature even in the heat of summer would be remarkably lower.

The architecture of the traditional tharavadu suited many people living under one roof and enjoying the commonly owned comforts of the homestead. The courtyards in the traditional homes of Kerala set apart a prominent place for the sacred thulasithara (a raised platform for tulsi).

Houses in Central India have many courtyards. The first courtyard is known as the baithak (the sitting place). Another is near the women’s area called the inner courtyard. These courtyards have beautiful facades and rich variations in decor elements.

What’s fascinating is that these courtyards not only define the perfect spatial organisation of those times, but also act as centres for rituals, marriages, festivals and social gatherings. By looking at various houses in India, this shows that the courtyard houses evolve from a concept of creating a home around a large space.

Relevance

Though courtyard architecture has been successfully used over the centuries, the concept seems at present to be disappearing as compact building designs have taken precedence. The influence of western culture, changes in lifestyle and the modern materials available in the market have made  people give their homes a modern look, often upsetting the environment..

This sidelines the climatically proper principles of planning. The architecture of the olden days cannot be reproduced now, owing to economic reasons. Every inch of land is now expensive and therefore we cannot build huge houses with courtyards.

Yet, there has been a revival of courtyards though there has been a compromise of various factors. Careful reinterpretation is now done architecturally without upsetting the traditional as well as the regional aspects.

In fact, now, many hotels, homes, farm houses, etc are carefully recreating courtyards. More and more architects are now looking at ways to introduce courtyards which can play a crucial role in the development of today’s homes in rural as well as urban areas.

In populated areas, a courtyard in a home can provide a family a break from the bustle of everyday life and a safe place for children to play.

With space at a premium, architects are experimenting with courtyards as a way to provide outdoor space for small communities of people. A courtyard surrounded by a minimum of ten houses would provide a park-like space for those families who would also take pride in ownership of the space.

In modern houses, there are timber-like platform steps and built-in seating arrangements. Some of them have an outdoor seating area, cooking area, pool, land area etc. These rank high in terms of style and function.They serve as a retreat from the closed boxes of today.

Having said all these, in the context of sustainability where ecological issues are of prime importance, courtyards can still be perceived as an important design element that functions both as a social space as well as something that reduces the carbon footprint of the building.