The Courtyards, Craighall Park: 2-bedroom Michael Sutton-designed townhouse

A rare opportunity to own a covetable Michael Sutton-designed townhouse at The Courtyards, once noted by House & Leisure magazine as one of Joburg’s top ten architectural icons. Built in 1965, The Courtyards was groundbreaking at its time – a village-style, human-scaled cluster of townhouses connected by ambient walkways that pivot from centralised parking garages.

Tastefully and sensitively renovated, this 102sqm unit features two upstairs bedrooms, one en suite. The ground-floor level offers an open-plan living space with original working fireplace and sliding doors opening onto a sun-splashed patio and garden courtyard. A separate kitchen space opens onto a multifunctional front courtyard, with storage space and its own entrance.

Michael Sutton (1928-2024) is celebrated for creating ambient living environments. “The Courtyards is all about barefoot luxury,” he once quipped. While much has been written about Sutton’s work over the years, it is Cape Town architect Victoria de la Cour who perhaps provides the best summary, noting, “Entering a Sutton building one is struck by a sense of quietness, balance, and peace. Living in a Sutton building allows one an intimate connection with the richness of his architectural language. Sutton's buildings have a timelessness in their language, as well as in their material and spatial quality. Rough textures and a lack of embellishment, along with inexpensive materials, created an architecture that was unpretentious and resonated strongly with its inhabitants.” The best of Sutton’s simple, clean design – he was a master of light and ventilation – is still retained in this updated renovation.

Its modern-classic design is only rivalled by its exceptional location. The Courtyards is perfectly positioned in The Parks – with Rosebank, Hyde Park Corner and Parkhurst just mere minutes away. If you're not in the mood to cook, The Courtyards is located directly across the street from the neighbourhood hot-spot, Cnr Café (directly below a boutique gym, where you can work it off) – and one can also easily walk to other local favourites, including Delta Park, the Craighall Spar, REEA Nursery, and Delta Café. Here’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy village-style living in the heart of the north, while living at one of the most iconic addresses in Johannesburg.