Theory: Private and public spaces

Uxmal offers diversity in scale in terms of spaces. Buildings were designed in accordance to their function. Those in the the Nunnery Quadrangle consisted of enclosed spaces in order to separate the occupant from the outside, since they were thought to be used to train students in healing, astrology, and priesthood. The courtyard created by the buildings in the Nunnery Quadrangle are a stark contrast from the interior spaces that are enclosed in the buildings. The difference in scale establishes an organized spatial hierarchy that both draws the individual in for private space, and out to the open courtyard to experience the rest of the complex.