COURTYARD – A WELLNESS COMPOUND

Courtyards in the Walled City allow an escape from the dense, urban setting to a natural environment. They are traditionally decorated with fountains and plants (Shahzad 2011). The therapeutic healing properties of nature create a sense of sublimity. The scent of the herbs, the visual soothing effect of greenery, and the music of rustling leaves create a world within a void. The water on the ground reflects its surroundings, dispersing the sunlight to form patterns. The seasonal changes affect the aesthetic appeal of the courtyard. In winters, the plants wither out leaving a more barren landscape. When spring arrives, fresh flowers and green leaves show up that are enjoyed all through summer until fall. During Autumn, the plants begin to change color and fallen leaves fill up the courtyard floor (Reynolds 2002). A simple perforated hole in a building block forms an island of relief amidst a bottlenecked environment.

Waterbodies in a courtyard create a cooling effect through evaporation. They also provide a serene visual of rippling water and refreshing sounds. A fountain trickling from the fourth story of the building into the courtyard would allow the residents on varying levels and facades surrounding the courtyard, to experience its therapeutic properties.

A large tree in the center of the courtyard creates a comfortable sitting space underneath. It also provides the users to experience the tree from different heights. Sitting in the jharokas, amidst the branches and leaves, is an uplifting experience altogether.

Walking around a tree, too, is an enjoyable transition for children and adults alike. Paths, ladders, and ramps linking buildings through a tree in the courtyard create a merger of connection to nature and social integration.

A tree could host a treehouse for children too! There is this incomparable charm of a quaint treehouse – it’s a refuge buried in the soothing embrace of greenery, a fortress of solitude, and a childhood dream!