Courtyard Homes

The town of Prospect, Colorado, approaches community living with a fresh perspective. In designing three unique homes in the Prospect community, this perspective was matched by a rethinking of the manner in which urban dwellers interact with both their surrounding community and the natural environment. In response to these seemingly divergent influences, courtyard homes emerged as a formal response that both encourages homeowners to interact with their neighbors, and allows for refuge from the urban context in private, unshared areas.

These homes represent a duplex with shared courtyard as well as single-family homes with courtyards. The courtyard as a spatial planning tool allows for sun and shade capturing, shelter from winds, small urban gardens, and outdoor living - making the smaller conditioned interior spaces inherent to an urban environment live larger. Here, the embrace of nature can be felt even in the urban context.