U.S. patent application number 11/370873 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-13 for housing positioning system and method.
Invention is credited to Robert A. Eaton.
Application Number | 20070209298 11/370873 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38477525 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070209298 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Eaton; Robert A. |
September 13, 2007 |
Housing positioning system and method
Abstract
The housing positioning system and method encompasses a
residential subdivision having rectangular adjacent building lots
including adjacent driveway areas perpendicular to a street and
separated by a fence having a partial gradient. Dwelling units are
placed on the lots so that a front wall of each dwelling unit faces
the driveway area at approximately a 45.degree. angle. A structure
having an exterior wall disposed perpendicular to a centerline of
the driveway areas includes a common internal wall to form separate
garages servicing each of the respective dwelling units.
Additionally, the structure may have a rear wall that is
essentially parallel and proximate to a rear lot line.
Alternatively, each dwelling unit may have an attached garage. For
each property, a storage shed may be disposed adjacent to the
garage. To limit yard maintenance, the driveway areas may wrap
around a rear-facing wall of the dwellings.
Inventors: |
Eaton; Robert A.; (El Cajon,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LITMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD.
P.O. BOX 15035
CRYSTAL CITY STATION
ARLINGTON
VA
22215
US
|
Family ID: |
38477525 |
Appl. No.: |
11/370873 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/174 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 1/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/174 |
International
Class: |
E01F 9/00 20060101
E01F009/00; E04H 6/42 20060101 E04H006/42 |
Claims
1. A housing positioning system, comprising: a residential
subdivision having rectangular adjacent building lots, the building
lots including adjacent driveway areas perpendicular to a street;
dwelling units disposed on the lots so that a front wall of each
dwelling unit faces the driveway area at approximately a 45.degree.
angle; and a structure having an exterior wall disposed
perpendicular to a centerline of the driveway areas, the structure
being proximate to a rear lot line, the structure having a common
internal wall to form separate garages, with each garage servicing
a respective dwelling unit.
2. The housing positioning system according to claim 1, further
comprising a fence disposed between the adjacent driveway areas,
whereby the driveway areas are separated.
3. The housing positioning system according to claim 2, wherein the
fence has a partial gradient component extending between two
predetermined distances from the street.
4. The housing positioning system according to claim 1, wherein
separate storage sheds are disposed adjacent to a respective one of
the separate garages.
5. The housing positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the
driveway areas wrap around a rear facing wall of the dwelling
units.
6. The housing positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the
dwelling units are comprised of a plurality of modules.
7. The housing positioning system according to claim 1, wherein a
fence is disposed between pairs of dwelling units not sharing a
driveway area so that privacy is maintained between the dwelling
unit pair.
8. The housing positioning system according to claim 7, wherein the
fence further comprises: a high component disposed from the back of
the properties; a partial gradient transitioning component; and a
low component disposed toward the front of the properties.
9. The housing positioning system according to claim 8, wherein the
high component has a height up to six feet.
10. The housing positioning system according to claim 8, wherein
the low component has a height up to exceed three feet.
11. A housing positioning method, comprising the steps of: creating
rectangular adjacent building lots from a residential subdivision;
creating adjacent driveway areas perpendicular to a street;
disposing dwelling units on the lots so that a front wall of each
dwelling unit faces the driveway area at approximately a 45.degree.
angle; arranging a structure so that an exterior wall of the
structure is disposed perpendicular to a center line of the
driveway areas; and placing a common internal wall within the
structure to form separate garages out of the structure so that
each garage services a respective dwelling unit.
12. The housing positioning method according to claim 11, further
comprising the step of disposing a fence between the adjacent
driveway areas, whereby the driveway areas are separated.
13. The housing positioning method according to claim 12, wherein a
partial gradient component extending between two predetermined
distances from the street is created in the fence.
14. The housing positioning method according to claim 11, further
comprising the step of disposing separate storage sheds adjacent to
a respective one of the separate garages.
15. The housing positioning method according to claim 11, further
comprising the step of wrapping the driveway areas around a rear
facing wall of the dwelling units.
16. The housing positioning method according to claim 11, further
comprising the step of manufacturing a plurality of modules from
which the dwelling units may be constructed.
17. The housing positioning method according to claim 11, further
comprising the step of disposing a fence between pairs of dwelling
units not sharing a driveway area so that privacy is maintained
between the dwelling unit pair.
18. The housing positioning method according to claim 17, wherein
the step of disposing a fence further comprises the steps of:
disposing from the rear of the properties a fence high component;
disposing a fence partial gradient transitioning component from a
front end of the fence high component; and, disposing a fence low
component from a front end of the gradient transitioning component
towards the front of the properties.
19. The housing positioning method according to claim 18, wherein
the step of disposing of a fence further comprises the step of
building the fence high component to a height up to six feet.
20. The housing positioning method according to claim 18, wherein
the step of disposing a fence further comprises the step of
building the fence low component to a height up to three feet.
21. A housing positioning system, comprising: a residential
subdivision having rectangular adjacent building lots, the building
lots including adjacent driveway areas perpendicular to a street;
dwelling units disposed on the lots so that a front wall of each
dwelling unit faces the driveway area at approximately a 45.degree.
angle; and an garage structure attached to each pair of the
dwelling units, the garage structure forming two separate garages
serving each one of the respective dwelling units of the pair.
22. A housing positioning method, comprising the steps of: creating
rectangular adjacent building lots from a residential subdivision;
creating adjacent driveway areas perpendicular to a street;
disposing dwelling units on the lots so that a front wall of each
dwelling unit faces the driveway area at approximately a 45.degree.
angle; and attaching a garage structure to each pair of the
dwelling units, the garage structure forming two separate garages
serving each one of the respective dwelling units of the pair.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to buildings, and more
particularly to buildings having a specified spatial
relationship.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] As it has been reported for quite some time now, the housing
market has been rapidly becoming more and more unaffordable across
the country. For example, the median price for single-family homes
in San Diego exceeds $500,000, excluding all but approximately 11%
of the population from home ownership.
[0005] The increasing cost of urban land suitable for residential
housing has resulted in a variety of creative lot and building
arrangements. However, use optimization of available land remains
problematic when it come down to balancing the needs of the
population for affordable, individual housing units against the
desires of the population to have suitable yard space, adequate
space for ancillary buildings, such as garages, tool sheds, and the
like, while also providing for privacy, ease of ingress and egress
from all structures on each lot, and compliance with building code
requirements.
[0006] The aforementioned use optimization of lots by placing
dwelling units, garages, and the like structures must be
accomplished in a way that also provides aesthetic appeal to the
home owners, as well as to the community at large. For example,
Japanese Patent No. 2003-268,991, published Sep. 25, 2003,
discloses space optimization within a building, i.e., a single room
dwelling with a loft that secures sleeping space for two while
protecting their privacies by use of a movable partition wall.
However, the patent does not disclose, nor does it suggest a system
and method for optimizing land usage vis-a-vis positioning a
building in a specified manner on a building lot.
[0007] None of the aforementioned patents or inventions describes
the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a housing positioning
system and method solving the aforementioned problems is
desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The housing positioning system and method is a technique for
arranging, i.e., positioning, improvements on tracts or subdivided
lots so that individual privacy is enhanced while maintaining the
desired esthetic of separate housing units, as opposed to
condominium, apartment or townhouse style dwellings. The system and
method of the present invention comprises a residential subdivision
having rectangular adjacent building lots, including adjacent
driveway areas, perpendicular to a street and separated by a fence
having a partial gradient. Preferably, rectangular dwelling units,
each of which preferably has a square-shaped perimeter, are placed
on the lots so that a front wall of each dwelling unit faces the
driveway area at approximately a 45.degree. angle. Additionally, it
should be noted that the present invention contemplates dwelling
units of a variety of shapes other than rectangular.
[0009] Preferably, a structure having an exterior wall disposed
perpendicular to a center line of the driveway areas has a common
internal wall in order to form separate garages, each of which
services a respective dwelling unit. Additionally, a rear wall of
the structure may be disposed along, or proximate and parallel to,
a rear lot line. Each garage may have a storage shed adjacent to
the garage. To limit yard maintenance, the driveway areas may wrap
around a rear-facing wall of the dwellings. Alternatively, attached
garages may be an option yet still sharing the driveway.
[0010] These and other features of the present invention will
become readily apparent upon further review of the following
specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a simplified top view of a housing subdivision,
according to the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a detailed top view of the housing subdivision,
according to the present invention.
[0013] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] The present invention is a system and method involving a
technique for arranging improvements on tracts or subdivided lots
so that individual privacy is enhanced while maintaining the
desired esthetic of separate housing units, as opposed to
condominium, apartment or townhouse style dwellings. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2, the system and method of the present invention
comprises a residential subdivision 100 having rectangular adjacent
building lots including adjacent driveway areas 156 perpendicular
to a street S and separated by a high privacy fence 117a, a lower
fence 121a and a partial gradient fence 120a. Fence 117a runs to a
rear property line in the alternative in which garages 123 are
attached to their respective dwelling units 105.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, to maintain privacy, pairs of dwelling
units 105 that do not share a driveway area 156 are separated by a
fence including a high component 117 disposed from the back of the
properties followed by a partial gradient component 120 that
transitions to a low component 121 disposed toward the front of the
properties. To provide compatibility with generally universal land
use codes, the fence high component 117 disposed from the rear of
the properties may have a height not to exceed 6', while the fence
low component 121 disposed toward the front of the properties may
have a height not to exceed 3'.
[0016] The fence gradient component 120 forms a partial gradient
that transitions from 3' to 6' so that it extends between two
predetermined distances from a reference point, which may be
located at the street, or along the fence line between the corners
of the units 105.
[0017] The dwelling units 105, each of which preferably has a
square shaped perimeter, are placed on the lots so that a front
wall 140 of each dwelling unit 105 faces the driveway area 156 at
approximately a 45.degree. angle.
[0018] The single, detached dwelling units 105 may be constructed
in a manner to conserve property square footage, yet have 1, 2 or 3
bedrooms, and may be one story or multiple, preferably two stories.
For example, it is within the scope of the present invention to
provide, as an alternative embodiment, a one bedroom unit having a
second story as a lofted bedroom.
[0019] The lofted bedroom may overlook the living room. The living
room may have a vaulted ceiling. All units may preferably have a
space dedicated to business needs of the homeowner, e.g., desk,
filing cabinet area with ample electrical outlets and cable
hook-ups for high speed Internet access.
[0020] Units 105 may also be outfitted with an indoor barbeque
grill. Optionally, units 105 may be equipped with wall
reinforcements to accommodate lifting devices installed as needed
at the stairwell to make units 105 accessible to persons
requesting/requiring such assistance.
[0021] Preferably, all units 105 having two or three bedrooms are
provided by two stories of habitable space. Due to the preferably
square shape and diamond orientation on the lot, all of the housing
units 105 make efficient use of small sized lots parceled for
multiple unit communities having homeowners' association fees.
[0022] The dwelling units 105 may be positioned to form a community
having two units up to a number of units in excess of 100. The
dwelling units 105 may be sold as individual properties in the
manner of the traditional single family home, or in a Homeowners
Association Community. The community settings may be constructed
for different homeowner types, i.e., seniors, couples, intern
business executives, doctors, attorneys, other professionals, and
the like.
[0023] The efficiency of the present invention passes on lower cost
and lower maintenance requirements to the homeowner.
[0024] Additionally, the dwelling units 105 may be built in the
traditional manner, i.e., non-preassembled wood frame and concrete
foundation, or the units may be pre-assembled or manufactured in
the form of a plurality of modules.
[0025] A structure having an exterior wall disposed perpendicular
to a center line of the driveway areas has a common internal wall
CW so as to form separate garages 123 each of which services a
respective dwelling unit. Additionally, a rear wall of the
structure may be disposed along or proximate and parallel to a rear
lot line. Each garage 123 may have a storage shed 115 adjacent to
the garage 123. Alternatively, garages 123 may each be attached to
a respective dwelling unit 105, yet still share the driveway 156.
To limit yard maintenance, the driveway areas 156 may wrap around a
rear-facing wall of the dwellings. Moreover, in the remaining areas
of yard, pressure treated long and narrow wood boxes (not shown)
may be built of a size to accommodate plastic insertable pots (not
shown), thus making gardening much easier than in the past with
traditional landscaping. Alternatively, for example, yards may
comprise paved brick patios and walkways. Wood chips and decorative
rock areas may surround the patios and walkways.
[0026] Although the present invention may be utilized to provide
more affordable single family home units it should not be
restricted to this affordable housing concept. Dwelling units,
according to the present invention, may be constructed in all price
ranges, from affordable housing to high end housing having
amenities such as granite/marble counter tops, fine cabinetry, top
of the line appliances, plush carpeting and the like.
[0027] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
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