Amazing Tropical Courtyard House Creates Cooling Oasis

Designed by: Andyrahman Architect.

Location: Surabaya City, Indonesia | Latitude: 7.34383° S

A courtyard is an excellent way to cool a house in the tropics. Courtyard houses introduce natural ventilation, daylight and vegetation into the interior spaces.

Located in the hot tropical city of Surabaya, Indonesia, Griyoase is a beautiful house designed by Andyrahman Architect. It is in the Kertomenanggal area in a residential area near the southern border of the city.

It is a modest size house at 150m2 / 1,615 sq. ft. and stands on an area of 12 x 18.5m / 39′-4″ x 60′-8″.

“…the atmosphere is quite calm, even though it is close to the busy route leading out of the city.”
– Andyrahman Architect

The client is a graphic designer. Hence, their background in design gave them an appreciation and a good sense of design principles. This appreciation for design helped the architect throughout the design process. Communicating ideas of proportion, scale, and rhythm applied in the project were more effortless.

Concept

The architect’s driving concept behind the project is “Home as an Oasis”.

Its name comes from a combination of the Indonesian words griya / griyo, which means house and oase, which means oasis.

Due to the hot climate of Surabaya, the architect thought that the house needed an “oasis”. This oasis was to help cool the air inside.

That’s where the courtyard comes in.

Inner Courtyard

In the middle of the house, they introduce an inner courtyard or, as they call it, an “inneryard”. The courtyard acts as an oasis in the home. A large Moringa tree is in that courtyard.

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

Along with the stairwell, the inner courtyard helps the daylighting and natural air circulation in this house to work well.

“This house optimizes the openings so that the light can enter as much as possible and the air circulation can run properly.”
– Andyrahman Architect

The inner courtyard also serves as a binder that unites the other spaces around.

“This large inneryard becomes this house orientation. From all angles of the room, you can see the inner courtyard freely.”
– Andyrahman Architect

There is also a courtyard/terrace at the front of the house. It is screened from the street and is situated next to the living room.

The architects created small gaps between the rooms and the wall at the back of the house. Hence, sunlight can still enter, penetrate, and provide light from the top to the house’s lower floor.

Courtyard Trees

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

Plants, trees and other natural elements are an amazing addition to a tropical home. We have an intrinsic connection with nature.

The family in this home loves plants and trees. Hence, the trees became important statements for them and the home.

“What is quite interesting about this house is that trees are specially planted to support the existence of the house.”
– Andyrahman Architect

The client bought two trees originally from Africa. They planted a Boabab tree in the front courtyard, while in the inner courtyard, they have a Moringa tree. Both trees are beautiful and distinctive. They enhanced the natural look and feel of the house, both inside and outside.

Baobab and Moringa trees have unique shapes. Their trunks are “bulgy” and create a natural look that is attractive and “artistic”.

Design Layout

Originally the house was designed with two storeys.

The ground floor (first floor in North America) has family-oriented activities like the living room, kitchen and family room. Two bedrooms are also on this floor, including the master bedroom.

On the first floor (second floor in North America) carries more private and service activities. Another two bedrooms are there, along with a laundry area, clothes storage, maid’s room and a large multifunctional area.

However, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, the family, like many families worldwide, were required to do more activities at home. As such, the family came up with the idea for their roof. They decided to use it for their pot-based gardening hobby.

Hence the roof became another functional floor area.

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

The client contacted the architects, and they designed and built a new staircase. Therefore, they could easily access the roof. It essentially became the third floor and allowed this family to pursue their hobby of gardening further.

“This 3rd floor also provides ecological awareness, that human life cannot be separated from nature and the environment, with the various types of plants and trees that are around us, in a symbiotic relationship, mutualism, which is mutually beneficial. Become an oasis for the environment.”
– Andyrahman Architect

Colours and Materials

In the design of this house, the architect uses three main colours: white, grey and black. They use the three colours to create a variation that is not too colourful.

The floor is grey, the walls are white, and the door and window frames, plus the stair railing and fence, are black.

Photo: Mansyur Hasan

The brick colour in the facade of the house serves as an accent. They make this house easy to recognize in its surroundings.

The clients also like wood. The doors are made of ironwood which is a firm wood and known for its strength. This ironwood colour blends with the terracotta colour of the brick.

Design Process and Collaboration

There was a design collaboration between three parties in the design process right through to completing the project.

The first is the client. As mentioned, the client is a graphic designer who has design knowledge. This knowledge was helpful for the architects in the design process of the house.

Meanwhile, the contractor or “executor” of the project comes from an architectural education background. They were the second party. As such, they understood the wishes of the architect and the client more deeply.

“In fact, architects do not need to closely supervise the implementation process because the executor is able to understand the design drawings well and implement them according to the architect’s design.”
– Andyrahman Architect

Thus, along with the architect, the three parties could collaborate proportionally to design and build this tropical modern house. All three of them already understood design. So, this house was a collaborative oasis “between 3 designers”.

Conclusion

A courtyard house can have significant benefits in tropical climates.

The architects used a courtyard in this home to create a cooling effect for the interior spaces. It essentially became an “oasis” for the house.

Trees and plants are also an integral part of this home. This extends from the client’s love of trees and plants and creates a pleasant and refreshing atmosphere within tropical houses.

A cohesive design and construction process between the client, architect and contractor made this home a joy to create.