Would you like to walk through an open-air courtyard with a tree instead of a plain hallway? Imagine walking from your living room to the sitting area, not through an ordinary corridor, but through a small open courtyard featuring a tree that looks like a piece of art.

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If this idea excites you, it’s time to discover the latest design trend: creating small, unexpected courtyards within a home. If homes like these fill your dreams, we have an inspiring book recommendation for you: Courtyard Living: Contemporary Houses of The Asia-Pacific by Charmaine Chan, design editor at the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, published by Thames & Hudson.

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The book showcases 25 modern homes with inner courtyards, with four standout examples:

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1. CORNWALL GARDENS / Singapore

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Designed by Chang Architects, Cornwall Gardens is truly a dream come true for plant lovers. This massive home, complete with a swimming pool, waterfall, pond, and terraced rooftop garden, has won an A+Awards. Designed by architect Chang Yong Ter, the house was created for a family that wanted to build a cool and tropical paradise.

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2. AW HOUSE / Jakarta

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At the heart of this house, designed by Andra Matin, is its central courtyard, featuring a Moringa tree that stands like a work of art.

Let’s pause here to give Moringa the spotlight it deserves. Known as the "tree of life" or the "miracle tree," Moringa is a South Asian plant with countless benefits. Moringa’s antioxidant properties are said to improve bone health, liver function, digestion, and even allergies. Did you know that 100 grams of dried Moringa contains nine times more protein than yogurt, ten times more vitamin A than carrots, and twelve times more vitamin C than oranges? Truly miraculous, right? So, it’s no coincidence that a Moringa tree was chosen for AW House’s courtyard.

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3. 17 BLAIR ROAD / Singapore

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Designed by Ong&Ong Architects, the courtyard in this home serves as the primary source of air and natural light for the entire house. Additionally, it has been made the focal point of almost every room in the home. In essence, it feels like a tribute to gardens and botany.

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4. GOMATI HOUSE / India

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Gomati House, designed by SPASM Design, features multiple inner courtyards. From the outside, it seems as though the homeowners live right within nature. Author Charmaine Chan describes this house by saying: “When I spoke to the owner over the phone, the first thing I noticed was how hard it was to hear him because of the birdsong in the background. He was speaking from inside the house, yet it felt like he was out in the garden.”