Traditional Arabic Courtyard Garden, Ajman
A walled courtyard reimagined in the Arabic garden tradition: a carved stone reflecting pool, citrus and jasmine, a shaded majlis and lantern light. Cool, private and built for family gatherings.
The Challenge
The family wanted the enclosed courtyard of their Ajman villa to feel like the traditional gardens of their grandparents' homes: shaded, private and centred on water. Instead it was a hot, paved box with a broken fountain, no seating and glare from unshaded floodlights. Walls trapped the heat, and the only planting was a struggling row of palms along one side. The brief was clear: cool it down, bring water back and make it the heart of family gatherings.
Our Solution
We followed the classic four-part chahar bagh plan, scaled to the courtyard. A long, shallow reflecting pool with a carved stone scupper runs down the centre, flanked by beds of citrus, frangipani and jasmine that perfume the evening air. Sandstone paving replaced the heat-soaking tiles, and a timber-slatted pergola shades the seating majlis at the far end. Brass lanterns and concealed warm LEDs replaced the floodlights entirely.
- 9 m reflecting pool in honed Omani sandstone with a carved scupper, recirculating pump and UV filtration: sound without splash.
- Fragrant courtyard planting of lemon and lime trees, frangipani, Arabian jasmine, bougainvillea and vitex, on subsurface drip irrigation.
- Shaded outdoor majlis with built-in seating, a timber pergola and a ceiling fan, positioned to catch the evening breeze.
- Lantern-style wall lights and concealed 2700K LED strips under the seating and along the pool, on a dusk-to-sleep dimming schedule.
The Result
Delivered in seven weeks, ahead of Eid. Afternoon surface temperatures in the courtyard dropped by around 8Β°C once the stone, shade and water were in place, and the family now uses the space every evening from October to May. The reflecting pool and lanterns have become the backdrop for every family gathering and photograph since.
cooler courtyard surfaces by afternoon
completed ahead of Eid
carved stone reflecting pool
Project Gallery
βIt feels like my grandmother's courtyard in the old town, but built for how we live today. The sound of the water and the smell of jasmine in the evening, that is what Absher gave us.β
Mariam Al Shamsi
Homeowner, Ajman
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