House of Courts

2700 Sq/FtArchitectureInterior Design

The House of Courts is a residence currently under design in the northern hills of the town of Villa de Leyva, Colombia. The house, a single-story brick and concrete structure, plays with the traditional courtyard typology of the region to produce a variety of internal outdoor spaces while simultaneously framing and highlighting the majestic views of the surrounding mountains.

The residence is composed around two enclosed courtyards that provide direct access to the outdoors from every interior space, and two additional semi-enclosed gardens that create a curated entrance and a protected oasis in an otherwise vast landscape. As you approach the main entrance of the house a walled-in garden creates a calm, reflective, semi-private space between the outside world and the interior of the residence. Once inside, a small, pebbled courtyard frames the view from the kitchen and provides an outdoor eating space. A long rectangular courtyard in the guest wing provides a buffer between the bedrooms and defines a linear corridor with a series of local ceramic vases. In the back, a large walled-in garden provides a backdrop for all of the communal spaces of the residence and frames a set of paths into the adjoining fields.

The structure is constructed of locally sourced brick walls with a white limewash finish and poured in place concrete floors and roofs. All of the roofs slope inwards towards the two interior courtyards and feed reflection pools located inside them, while skylights above each of the bedrooms force the roof structure to rise toward peaks and produce an inverse relationship to the courtyards. The effect is a sequence of undulating slopes that reach towards the sky in private spaces and down towards the ground in the main communal areas of the house.

The house has three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, a small office space, and two communal spaces. The central living space opens up from behind a large fireplace near the entrance and allows for the family to gather and cook together. A smaller den near the guest bedrooms provides an informal place to unwind and enjoy the back garden while also providing views into the linear courtyard. The main bedroom and office sit behind the dining courtyard on the opposite side of the house from the two guest bedrooms to provide additional privacy for the owners. While the communal spaces and courtyards reinforce the interiority of the dwelling, all of the hallways and transitory spaces terminate in framed views that draw the eye back to the outside and produce a direct connection to the incredible location.

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