Few architectural elements are more closely associated with comfort, protection, and security than the courtyard-an outdoor living space that is partially or fully enclosed by walls or buildings. The courtyard became a major architectural design element almost as soon humans began constructing permanent buildings.

Here is the best of both worlds: New houses with old world sensibilities. In Creating a New Old House,architect Russell Versaci shows you that it is possible to design and create a new house that looks and feels like it has always been there.

Creole houses, found from New Orleans to northern Louisiana, are one of the nation’s unique architectural treasures. A blend of French and Spanish colonial styles, with West Indian, Canadian, and other influences, these lovely houses were astutely designed to withstand their sultry, subtropical environment. Significantly, most major examples withstood the devastating hurricanes of 2005.