A project which comprises 14 residential units planned around a horseshoe shaped site of 4.5 Dunam. These are arranged in four groups, each of which focuses on a courtyard. The Arab village of Malhah was once an isolated settlement. Today, with the expansion of Jerusalem far beyond its ancient walls, the village has become an integral part of the city. The Master plan for Malhah proposed subdividing the neighbourhood into clusters of 10-20 residential units. The houses are designed as L-shaped “patio” houses. Each has an gross area of 220m2, leaving 30m2 for the patio. The solarium in each unit faces the patio. For the most part these patios open out towards a private courtyard. All the houses have a basement which gains light and air from an adjacent courtyard. These are mostly accessed by a separate entrance. Pedestrian paths link between the four groups of buildings, these are the “streets” of the complex. The paths converge on a central courtyard. Care has been taken in the design and landscaping of these open spaces, which are populated by benches, seating corners, street lamps, signs, trees and shrubs. Sheltered from the roads surrounding the project the central courtyard feels private and safe. It is a place for children to play in, and for the residents to meet. It can be thought of as an open-air living room for the whole project.