Islamic Ideology and the Evolution of Courtyard – A Case Study of a Havili, Old City Lahore

A courtyard in buildings plays an important role in determining climatic setting, as well as physical and psychological environment for the residents. This paper focuses on the evolution of courtyard houses in light of the teachings of Islam. Islamic planning, in terms of structures, spatial arrangement and form, determines the socio-cultural features of its community. In Islam, a house is represented as a shelter where families can enjoy their privacy and ease within the domain of Islamic values. For this, a detailed study of various courtyard housing has been carried out, probing their history, evolution, form and elements. A side reference of the Islamic ideology is also studied for a better understanding of an Islamic courtyard house. The analysis concludes that with only a few exceptions, the courtyards functions the same in both the contemporary and Islamic worlds-providing privacy and fully ventilated dwelling. This study provides appropriate architectural design strategies that could promote the use of Islamic values in modern yet contemporary courtyard houses worldwide.