A covered courtyard has been inserted into the side of this Kurashiki house by Japanese firm TT Architects (+ slideshow).

The owner of the home wanted to replace the existing extension with a structure that limited the amount of bright sunshine coming in from the west.

The architects decided to set the courtyard into the building, creating a vitrine-like space and effectively shading the living area.

A toplight in the roof of the courtyard provides extra light without glare, while full-height glazing slides across to provide access outdoors.

The living area, workspace and master bedroom are arranged around the courtyard.

On the outside walls, sheets of galvanised steel overlap slightly to resemble shingle tiles.

We recently made a Pinterest board of courtyards featured on Dezeen – see it here.

See all our stories about courtyards »
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Photographs are by Kei Sugino.

Here's some more information from the architects:

Concept:

Sites that were originally like this would have normally been given up on. The TT Architects' approach to design utilises these negative elements, converting them into positive ones.

The client came to us asking that the extension on the east-side of the block and adjoining the pre-existing main building be removed, and that a building of a similar scale be built in its place.

On the west-side of the block, there is a large and spread-out garden; however the client was troubled by the sun coming in from the west and as such ceased using the windows facing this direction. Is it possible for the client to be able to enjoy the landscape from the western garden, while solving the problem posed by the western sun?

As a solution, we designed a centre-courtyard acting functionally as a deep-set eave. The layout surrounding the courtyard features a living room, a bedroom and a workspace. The courtyard acts a buffer to the western sun, resulting in a softer, indirect light filtering inside. The southern sun illuminates the courtyard after filtering through a top-light located above.

The courtyard acts a light source, ensuring that the living room is adequately lit. With the scenery unfolding right before your eyes, it is almost like one has the luxury of their very own private landscape view.