6. The Sunken Courtyard Garden
Dig down instead of building up — that was the idea, and it worked better than I expected. The courtyard sits a few blocks below ground level, ringed with stone walls and steps that descend like an amphitheatre. In the middle, a small fountain; around it, flower beds in careful rows and benches where villagers sometimes gather. It stays cool in summer, sheltered in winter, and from above all you see is a green square in the middle of town, like a jewel in a setting.