Creating a 'mini-oasis'

The idea of creating a mini-oasis adjacent to the house is not a new concept.  For a long time civilizations in hot dry areas have used courtyards effectively to cool their buildings.  These courtyards are often placed centrally with habitable rooms wrapping around them. 

This concept can be used when planning a new house and garden – however many people will want to retrofit their existing house with a cool shady landscaped area adjacent to the building.

Ideally the coolest area of the garden is on a building’s southern side.  If room permits a southern courtyard is designed which incorporates a number of features to help cool the house during the hot dry Summer months. An alternative aspect for a cool area of the garden is to the south east or east. 

In this zone, plants are incorporated with higher water requirements than most other parts of the garden, with the exception of the vegetable garden. These type of plants generally have large green leaves. Deciduous vines attached to a pergola provide overhead protection.  Materials on the ground are permeable to allow water to infiltrate the ground, evaporating slowly as the day warms.  The mini-oasis or courtyard can incorporate water harvesting measures as well as a water feature and mist irrigation supplied from a rainwater tank.

Vents positioned above the floor level draw cool air from the ‘mini-oasis’ garden through the house where it is exhausted via vents in the roof.  Although this will require some retrofitting to the building it will reduce reliance on air conditioning systems.

A summer outdoor entertaining area can be placed in this area – as this may be a more pleasant place to be during hot afternoons and evenings than any other place in the home or garden.

Other variations of the ‘mini-oasis’ include the shade house or fernery, which is attached to the house and enclosed with shade cloth.  The floor is permeable and plants are allowed to grow in this surface.

References

Reynolds, John (2002) Courtyards: aesthetic, social and thermal delight. John Wiley: New York.

Sullivan, Chip (2002) Garden and Climate. McGraw-Hill: New York.

Wrigley, Derek (2004) Making your home sustainable. Self published.