A courtyard cluster is a group of small, separate family buildings arranged around a shared yard, which is the most flexible and expandable multi-family form but uses more material per family than rows or longhouses. Size the yard so the buildings facing across it keep the fire spacing, at least 5 m for non-combustible walls and 10 m for timber, and give it two ways in so a fire in one house cannot trap everyone inside.
Part of Multi-Family Housing Design
A courtyard cluster is a set of separate dwellings facing a shared open court used for work, play and social life.
The Yard Is Shared Workspace And The Fire Gap
The multi-family guide lists the advantages: units can differ in size and construction type, the courtyard is sheltered outdoor workspace, children’s play space and social space, each unit has exterior walls on every side for ventilation and light, and another unit can be added at the courtyard edge. The disadvantages are more material per family than rows or longhouses, less thermal benefit from shared walls, and shared upkeep of the courtyard.
The settlement-layout guide uses the same form for housing: clusters of 4-8 houses around a courtyard, with 5 m minimum between buildings and a private outdoor area of 30-50 m² per unit (Residential Zone).
Worked Example: How Big Must The Yard Be?
Inputs: eight houses, two to a side of a square court; frontage 5 m each; fire spacing 5 m (non-combustible walls) or 10 m (doubled for timber or thatch, from Fire Prevention in Settlements).
- Side length needed to fit two 5 m frontages: 2 × 5 = 10 m.
- Distance across the court between facing houses = court side = 10 m, which meets the 10 m timber spacing and exceeds the 5 m non-combustible spacing.
- Court area = 10 × 10 = 100 m², about 12.5 m² per house for eight houses.
With non-combustible walls and only four houses (one per side, 5 m frontage), a court side of 5 m would meet the spacing, giving 25 m². A court under about 5 m across breaks the spacing rule whatever the number of houses.
What You Need
- A level, drained site for the court, falling to a drain away from the houses
- Two openings between the buildings, or at opposite corners
- A fire-water barrel of at least 200 L in or beside the court
Method
Step 1: Fix the number of houses (4-8) and their frontages.
Step 2: Compute the court as above, taking the larger spacing if any wall is combustible.
Step 3: Leave two openings, not one; a court with a single entrance can become a trap.
Step 4: Drain the court so water leaves the building bases (Drainage Ditches).
Step 5: Agree maintenance of the shared court in advance (Conflict Reduction by Design).
Common Mistakes
- A court narrower than the fire spacing.
- Storing wood or hay in the court.
- Roofs that slope into the court with no gutter or drain.
Safety
Cooking fires in a closed court
A cooking or heating fire in an enclosed yard sends embers across it to the neighbours’ roofs. Use non-combustible roofs on all houses, keep woodpiles at least 10 m from buildings, and keep the yard clear so a crowd can leave through either opening.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Shared Kitchen and Dining — a common building for the court
- Combine with: Privacy Gradients — the court as the public edge of private homes