Moroccan riad Moroccan riad A riad () is a type of traditional Moroccan house or palace with an interior garden or courtyard. The word riad originates from the Arabian term for garden, , ryad. The ancient Roman city of Volubilis provided a reference for the beginnings of riad architecture during the Idrisid Dynasty. When the Almoravids conquered Spain in the 11th century they sent Muslim, Christian and Jewish artisans from Spain to Morocco to work on monuments. The Riad is the Moroccan traditional house, normally with two or more stories around an Andalusian-style courtyard that contained a fountain. Riads were the stately
Courtyard housing Courtyard housing Courtyard housing is a distinct medium density multi-family housing typology centered on a shared outdoor open space or garden and surrounded by one or two storeys of apartment units typically only accessed by courtyard from the street (and not by an interior corridor). Courtyard housing developed independently in many cultures around the world as a response to particular local needs and economical and social factors. The courtyard housing typology in the US developed in the Los Angeles area in the 1920s by several small scale developers in response to the region's climate and housing needs and which typically