A swimming pool in the courtyard of a city block in Madrid Sur

Urban trees allow a more comfortable thermal sensation through shadow, moisture and wind moderation. And grass can also help. All those elements are present in many traditional Spanish architectures, but also on more recent buildings, as in the new residential areas of Madrid. For some, these are just “gated communities” as in the US, but on a vertical layout (dwellings on these multi-family buildings are accessed through a single access to the block courtyard, so sometimes there is a guard at the gate), but these are also spaces where, around a swimming pool and under some trees, you can have a summer day.