Five different models were created for the client, each with
one or more significant style variation. The homes front onto
heavily landscaped common Garden Court areas with walking paths
and benches.
Garden Courts can be used effectively in neighborhood design
to provide a counterpoint to traditional building-to-street relationships
characteristic of typical street grids. The greens can be well
defined by the homes that surround them and create greater intimacy
and identity than more exposed public parks. The line between
the public realm and private garden is important to delineate
with low fencing, hedges, or medium-height landscape borders.
Garden Courts are extremely efficient in use of the land for the
specific purposes of accommodating buildings, garages, and public
and private open space. Because of this, they can produce very
livable detached home developments at relatively high densities.
