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Summit Build & Design

Residential Runda, Nairobi

The Courtyard House

A modern residence organised around a private courtyard, with considered material choices and indoor-outdoor living.

Concept project. This is a fictional example created to demonstrate how Summit Build & Design presents its work. It does not describe a completed building or a real client commission.

White two-storey house with a timber soffit and a long pool in the foreground

Project overview

The Courtyard House is a concept for a single-family home arranged around a central open-air courtyard. Every main room looks onto the courtyard rather than the boundary, giving the house privacy without feeling closed in.

Delivered as a design and build concept, one team takes the house from early sketches through to handover.

Design objectives

  • Create a private outdoor room at the heart of the house
  • Allow living spaces to open fully to the courtyard and terrace
  • Use a restrained palette of materials that are durable and easy to maintain
  • Keep design and construction under one team for clear accountability

Key considerations

  • Shading and ventilation, so the courtyard cools the house rather than heating it
  • Drainage of the courtyard and terraces during heavy rain
  • Acoustic and visual privacy between bedrooms that share the courtyard
  • Coordinating pool and landscape works with the main construction programme

Gallery

Covered terrace with sliding glass doors overlooking a pool and planting
A covered terrace links the living room to the courtyard.
Dining area with a dark table, concrete wall, timber battens and a view through to the living room
Concrete, timber and glass are used throughout the interior.
Bathroom with a freestanding bath, dark tiles and a high clerestory window
High windows bring light into private rooms without overlooking.

Scope of work

  • Design development and approvals
  • Full construction from foundations to finishes
  • Pool, terraces and courtyard landscaping
  • Joinery and built-in furniture
  • Final inspection and handover documentation

Project approach

  1. 01

    One team, one programme

    With design and construction under one roof, cost planning ran in parallel with design so the scheme stayed within the agreed budget range.

  2. 02

    Shade before glass

    Deep roof overhangs and a timber soffit protect the large openings, allowing the house to stay open to the courtyard for much of the day.

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