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compluvium
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compluvium

architecture
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Quick Summary

The compluvium was a square opening in the roof of an ancient Roman house's atrium. This architectural feature was designed to channel rainwater downwards. The water collected in a basin or cistern called the impluvium, located in the center of the atrium. This system was a practical element of Roman residential architecture, particularly in the Mediterranean climate, allowing for water collection within the home. Roman houses, known as domus, often featured an atrium with a compluvium and impluvium as central elements, providing light and ventilation to the surrounding rooms.123

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. compluvium
  2. Western architecture - Residential architecture
  3. impluvium

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