The Riad Americanized

A riad is a traditional Moroccan house or palace characterized by its inward-facing architecture, designed to provide privacy and serenity. The focal point of a riad is its central courtyard, often adorned with lush greenery, fragrant orange or lemon trees, and a tranquil fountain or small pool. This courtyard serves as a peaceful oasis, shielded from the bustling streets outside.

The windows of a riad typically do not face outward but instead open into this central courtyard, creating a sense of intimacy and connection to nature. These windows, often framed by ornate wooden or plasterwork designs, allow light and air to flow into the interior spaces while maintaining privacy.

Above, the rooftop terrace offers expansive views of the surrounding medina, cityscape, or nearby mountains. It’s a versatile space, frequently used for lounging, dining, or enjoying the cool evening breeze. Decorated with colorful tiles, potted plants, and shaded seating areas, the terrace often becomes a favorite spot for relaxation and stargazing under the Moroccan sky.

With this concept of the Riad in mind, the question is how best to adapt / abstract the Riad's features to the dominant form of housing in the US, the tract house of the suburban subdivision. The most convenient form of building turned out to be the duplex - but mirrored front to back rather than side to side. One side of the duplex is made into a windowless party wall which serves to form the private courtyard feature found in the Riad. The windows of each of the four bedrooms open onto this courtyard - as does the living room and dining room below. The living room also benefits from two additional clerestory windows.

Riad living rooms are typically a U shaped ring of sofas. This concept was used with the addition that the focal point of this sofa banque is a very large format projection TV. The dining room is placed on the opposite side of this projection TV wall, fitted with a long table facing the window wall next to the courtyard. The courtyard itself is planted with trees, flowers, and flowering climbing vines going all the way to the top of the party wall. A galley kitchen runs parallel to the dining table with the stove tucked away at one end. A butlers pantry / wet bar is place in between the kitchen and table and is open to the dining space.

Four large en suite bedrooms each with a king bed are on the floor above and reached by a stair tower on the street side of the house. Ascending one level more through this stair tower brings one to the rooftop terrace. This rooftop terrace is set up as a fully equipped outdoor house, with kitchen, dining area, and wraparound sofa area. Both dining and living spaces are protected with retractable awnings. Bistro tables are placed around the edge of this rooftop terrace along with topiary and flower boxes.

A full basement for storage and utilities is included and while there shouldn't be an issue for the California market, Florida may be another story. A carport accommodates three large cars and probably four more compact cars. A gated area just beyond the carport provides protected space for such things as bicycles and motor scooters and leads to the courtyard and hot tub. A separate staircase connects the courtyard to the basement.

The width of each duplex in only 25' by 60' long - set on lots only 36' wide and 110' long. This works out to around 3,000 sq ft of conditioned living space, 1,500 sq ft of storage and utilities space, and 1,500 ft of rooftop terrace space. The lot is around 4,000 sq ft working out to a pretty high density of 10 units per acre.