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Identifying feature

Courtyard

An open-air space enclosed by the walls of a building or group of buildings. It brings light and air to inner rooms in Roman, Islamic, Chinese and Spanish Colonial houses.

a sign of these styles

Harkness Tower, New Haven, Connecticut: an example of Collegiate Gothic Collegiate Gothic c. 1890–1940 Stone quadrangles with pointed-arch gateways, Tudor arches, tall towers, oriel windows and mullioned windows on university campuses. Hermann-Grima House, New Orleans, Louisiana: an example of Creole Townhouse Creole Townhouse c. 1790–1850 Stuccoed brick row buildings on the sidewalk, with iron balconies, arched openings and a carriageway to a rear courtyard. Säynätsalo Town Hall, Säynätsalo, Finland: an example of Critical Regionalism Critical Regionalism c. 1980–present Modern design rooted in place: local materials, climate response, and craft instead of global sameness. Oia, Santorini, Greece: an example of Mediterranean Vernacular Mediterranean Vernacular antiquity–present Whitewashed cube-shaped houses with thick walls, shuttered windows, flat or low tile roofs, and courtyards. Golestan Palace, Tehran, Iran: an example of Qajar Qajar c. 1789–1925 Brick palaces and houses with painted tile panels of figures and flowers, mirror work, tall arched portals and windcatchers.

also seen on

African VernacularAncient ChineseAncient EgyptianByzantineChinese TraditionalDravidianGründerzeitIndian ClassicalIslamic MedievalJapanese TraditionalMediterranean RevivalMission RevivalMoorish / MudéjarMughalOttomanPersian (Achaemenid)Pueblo RevivalSafavidSeljukSoutheast Asian ShophouseSpanish ColonialSpanish Colonial RevivalTimuridTropical Modernism

often seen with

Arcade A row of arches carried on columns or piers (thick square supports), often forming a covered walkway along a… Stucco wall A wall coated with stucco, a plaster of cement or lime, sand and water, finished smooth or textured. Dome A rounded roof shaped as half a sphere, often raised on a drum (a circular wall). Carved stone relief Figures or patterns carved into stone so they project from a flat background, called low relief when shallow… Decorative tilework Glazed ceramic tiles, fired clay with a glassy coating, used to finish walls, floors and fireplace surrounds. Minaret A tall, slender tower attached to or near a mosque, usually with one or more balconies near the top. Pointed arch An arch whose two curved sides meet at a point, called the apex. Round arch An arch shaped as a half circle, often built from wedge-shaped blocks called voussoirs.