Tulsa: Forecourt with Masonry Arch

Most people think of courtyards as being in the back of a house, but actually they can be on the side or the front. This great space in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a forecourt―that is, it’s in the front and serves as the entry to the house. I love this because it truly integrates the space into the home.

This great masonry arch and doorway are essentially the front door of the house, with the courtyard being the foyer to the home. The use of a door rather than a gate also elevates the space stylistically. If your house fronts a busy street, this solves two issues: First, the courtyard puts a bit more space between the street and the house, allowing it to sit farther back from the noise. Second, it makes your usable living space seem so much larger and will actually encourage you to use the space more.

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