Courtyard Homes & Summer Holidays

Reminiscing my summer holidays, the idea of spending summers at the ancestral homes brings back memories of childhood. Running around barefoot along the internal corridors of the courtyards, climbing the mango trees surrounding the grand home, hiding behind those heavy doors and pillars while playing hide-and-seek and the family time relishing snacks in the courtyard. Homes like these are soaked in old world charm and rich in craftsmanship.

Whilst courtyards were a common feature within most of the ancestral homes in India, I was particularly fascinated with the Courtyard homes built in the tropical parts of South India while on a study tour to Mangalore to study architecture in hot humid climates, during the course of my Architecture Degree.

As the cities got denser, plots got smaller and families got smaller with most of the kids moving to cities or flying overseas. These homes are a rare sight now. After all, you do not need a huge home with a central courtyard anymore to fit in the whole family. Sadly, a smaller 4mt X 4mt family room is sufficient. If one is lucky, a small back yard is a bonus.

With both partners working becoming a norm and the growing dependency on our parents to help us with giving company to our kids and vice versa, I really hope bigger homes with semi open family spaces with an inside out feel are back in the scene.

I am eagerly looking forward to the revival of Courtyard style homes at least within the Bespoke luxury homes space.