Today, the House with Interior Patio is once again becoming very popular, and both Architects and owners have begun to appreciate its great advantages.

And I say come back because the idea of a house with an interior courtyard is not new at all.

What’s more, the first examples of houses with an interior courtyard date back to 3,000 BC. There are very ancient examples in both Chinese, Greek and Roman culture of this type of housing.

Its origins respond to questions of shelter and security and the need to take advantage of the elements of the external environment to make the interior spaces of the house more comfortable says GetYourCouponCodes.

That is to say, a little piece of nature was brought inside the house, with all the benefits that this brings us.

These “old principles” that gave rise to the inner courtyard, which have much common sense, are the same as today are disseminated in what is known as bioclimatic design.

Let’s say then that bioclimatic design is nothing more than designing using common sense.

We can then say that the Inner Patio is a space capable of regulating a house climatically, making it more comfortable and energetically more efficient.

Another of the virtues of an interior courtyard is the simplicity of the elements that constitute it.

We could say that there are basically 3 simple elements that make up an interior courtyard:

1. Walls
2. Soils
3. Drainage for rainwater

From these 3 simple elements can be added other elements, in order to give the courtyard a more specific use.

They can be complemented with different elements such as furniture, covers, gardens, vegetation, a family vegetable garden, stairs, swimming pools, etc.

Whatever you want… Once the interior courtyard is built the use and decoration will depend on the lifestyle of each family or person.

A house with an interior courtyard increases the quality of life of those who live there, as it incorporates an open space with a social character, which usually becomes the centre of the house. 

The benefits of having a house with an interior courtyard are in terms of quality of life and comfort as well as energy efficiency and thermal regulation of the house.

We could also say that having a house with an interior patio is synonymous with having a healthy house, as it stimulates the use of an open space and meeting and generates a more comfortable indoor microclimate.

There are 5 major advantages to having a house with interior courtyard:

#1. Communication and articulation between spaces

The courtyard as an articulating space of the dwelling is an efficient resource both in terms of energy and socialisation.

The Inner Patio becomes the space that organizes the other rooms of the house.

Depending on the type of terrain you have, the courtyard may be located in the center, to the side or in the back.

But regardless of the location of the inner courtyard, this will be an important element, around which they communicate, connect and distribute the other spaces of the house.

As they connect, the interior courtyards also divide, that is to say they have the capacity to separate 2 spaces or rooms of the house, obtaining more privacy and generating an “intermediate” zone of public use.

2. Natural ventilation

Natural ventilation is a passive cooling strategy (without using any type of energy subsidy) highly recommended and efficient, especially for climates where there are high temperatures.

It consists of the strategic placement of spans, doors or windows that allow air circulation between the interior spaces of the house.

A house with an interior patio already has, so to speak, an important element to generate natural ventilation in the house.

The interior patio is like a large space that will regulate the ventilation inside the house, since the wind remains stable with a continuous direction despite the fact that it is very variable outside.

The interior patio will be in charge of distributing the ventilation in each of the spaces around it.

#3. Natural lighting

Privilege and entry of natural light into your home is a way to ensure and increase your quality of life in your home.

Natural light is health and without light there is no Architecture. There is a cave.

Depending on the type of land you have, the possibilities for entering natural light will be more optimal or not.

In terrain types 1, 2 and 3 you have more facades available for the entrance of natural light.

In terrain 4 and 5 the situation is different and you only have 2 and 1 facade for the entry of natural light.

In the latter 2 cases the cases opting for an interior courtyard is the most recommendable and intelligent option.

The interior patio, in general, privileges the entrance of zenithal light. That is light that comes from the sky, perpendicular to the ground.

The zenithal illumination has particular characteristics since it is a direct, natural light. And it has the capacity to generate very particular spaces, ephemeral, very stimulating in some cases.

An interior courtyard + natural light = better quality of life in a protected interior space where social activities can be developed.

#4. The courtyard as a bioclimatic strategy

The inner courtyard is an excellent bioclimatic regulator. It’s like you have an “air tube” inside your house. Or your house around it.

The interior patio has the ability to generate a very comfortable interior micro-climate.

Where the temperature can drop as low as 3°C at times of higher temperatures and at the same time delay the loss of heat when outdoor temperatures are lower.

If in addition to opting for an interior courtyard you choose to work with natural materials of great thermal resistance, and you orient very well the openings of the house, surely you will have a healthy house and of very good quality and comfort.

We can then consider the interior patio as a passive climate control device in the construction of a home.

#5. Contact with nature

A house with an interior patio provides the best conditions to generate a natural interior space.

It is a space where you can include trees, different types of vegetation, water fountains, swimming pools, a barbecue, etc..

For people interested in growing part of their own food, the interior patio provides ideal conditions to implement a family garden.

And to finish this article, I invite you to see some inspiring images of houses with interior courtyards.