Nested Hearth Court
A communal dwelling in Fractal Citadel’s oldest cubic courtyard tradition. A freestanding low square ring of occupied rooms encloses an unmistakably open square courtyard on perfectly flat ground. The front is south: a central square ground-level portal passes beneath an occupied bridging room into the court; a smaller aligned north portal gives a second exit. Heavy matte black vitreous-stone corner piers and deep lintels carry the rooms. The rear-left northwest corner rises to three levels, the adjoining rear and west ranges are two levels, and the front-right southeast corner steps down to one; broad flat roof terraces and three square parapet steps make this height change legible. White ceramic caps cover every parapet and landing; all roofs remain closed except the central court.
Use three readable scales of square negative space: the major entrance and court, medium square holes beside them, and tiny square perforations within the medium holes’ surrounding bands, leaving thick corners and floor slabs intact. Selected polished inner reveals catch cyan light from concealed sources. Exterior domestic windows have four square violet mineral shutter leaves, each quartered into smaller panes, with only one leaf slightly open. The west side has a regular rhythm of shutters and small light holes; the east side has fewer openings and one repaired violet panel whose salvaged square panes vary in size and cloudiness, joined with white ceramic splines. The north rear continues the square openings with more closed violet panels around private rooms. The white threshold sits flush with the ground. Restrained internal cyan light, no gold, no triangular screens, no tower, no surrounding props.