quadrangle

Rectangular open space completely or partially enclosed by buildings of an academic or civic character. The grounds of a quadrangle are often grassy or landscaped. Such an area, intended as an environment for contemplation, study, or relaxation, was a feature of monastic establishments and the colleges that evolved from them. The quadrangular layout at New College in Oxford University (completed 1386), with its partially connected buildings, was enormously influential in subsequent collegiate building.

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• Quadrangle (architecture), a space or courtyard, usually square or rectangular in plan, the four sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building
• Quadrangle (geography), a United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5-minute quadrangle map, which are usually named after a local physiographic feature
• Siheyuan, a Chinese architecture sometimes translated to English as "Chinese quadrangle"