TWO, THREE AND FOUR : A Courtyard House

Two, Three and Four: A Courtyard House is a family vacation home designed by JGCH for a painter and his family just outside Greenport, Long Island, completed in 2013. The project is conceived around the courtyard house typology, with an aim to balance form, daylight, and privacy across the house's programmatic zones. The design arranges sequential, distinct courtyard forms—two-sided, three-sided, and four-sided—around the perimeter, each responding to different activities and their shifting needs for light and seclusion throughout the day. The site plan places the studio and workspaces at the southeast corner, utilizing a two-sided, L-shaped courtyard that emphasizes morning light and neighborhood visibility. Kitchen and dining areas occupy the southwest side in a three-sided, C-shaped configuration to harness afternoon sun and foster connections between formal and informal spaces. The most private family living areas are gathered into a four-sided, enclosed courtyard that allows for secluded evening gatherings and draws in diffuse daylight from all directions. Masonry brick construction and a palette of white brick and ceramic glazed masonry define the exterior, while the main volume’s glazed elements frame changing daylight within each courtyard. The massing steps from single-story common areas to a four-story bedroom tower, articulating privacy and spatial hierarchy on the site.

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