U.S. patent application number 16/017680 was filed with the patent office on 2018-11-22 for high density residential subdivision with courtyard common layout.
The applicant listed for this patent is Weekley Homes, LLC. Invention is credited to Jack Preston Wood.
Application Number | 20180334821 16/017680 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64269960 |
Filed Date | 2018-11-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180334821 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wood; Jack Preston |
November 22, 2018 |
High Density Residential Subdivision With Courtyard Common
Layout
Abstract
A residential subdivision layout for high density developments
is disclosed which includes placing residential buildings on lots
in a configuration such that the front facade of the residential
buildings faces a common area, preferably a green space, while he
rear facade of the buildings includes a vehicle garage entrance and
faces a vehicle passageway. A private courtyards are included
between residential buildings on adjacent lots, preferably, on
forward portions of the lots between residential buildings such
that the courtyards are near, and within visual sight of the common
area, but separated from it by a privacy barrier, such as a fence
or shrubbery. Preferred configurations not only provide a usable
and private outside areas in view of a common space, but create
openings between the buildings that allow natural light to enter
the interior of the buildings through windows adjacent to the
courtyards.
Inventors: |
Wood; Jack Preston;
(Houston, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Weekley Homes, LLC |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
64269960 |
Appl. No.: |
16/017680 |
Filed: |
June 25, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14753138 |
Jun 29, 2015 |
10007959 |
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16017680 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 1/005 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E04H 1/00 20060101
E04H001/00 |
Claims
1. An improved subdivision having a plurality of lots, at least one
lot of said plurality of lots having a first property line defining
a front of the lot, a second property line defining a rear of the
lot, and third and fourth property lines defining the sides of the
lot, and a first building disposed on the lot within the property
lines, said second property line being proximate to a vehicle
passageway and said first property line being proximate to a common
area, said first building having a front portion nearest to the
first property line and a rear portion nearest to the second
property line, the rear portion of the first building comprising a
vehicle garage and the front portion comprising a front door
entrance, the improvement comprising: said at least one lot of said
plurality of lots having a courtyard on one side of said first
building and adjacent to the front portion of said first building;
wherein one side of said first building comprises a forward side
along the front portion of the building, a rear side along the rear
portion of the building, and an intermediate facade on the rear
portion of the first building, the forward side being recessed
relative to the rear side from the side property line, such that
the rear portion of the first building has a width greater than a
width of the front portion, and the intermediate facade is disposed
between the forward and rear sides of the first building and
generally disposed toward the first property line; and wherein said
courtyard is defined by one side of a second building disposed on
an adjacent lot, the forward side of the front portion of the first
building, the intermediate facade on the rear portion, and a
privacy barrier, said privacy barrier being positioned between the
intermediate facade of the first building and the front property
line.
2. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the first and second
buildings comprises residential buildings having at least two, but
not more than four floors.
3. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the common area comprises a
green space.
4. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the common area has a width
of at least about 8 feet.
5. The subdivision of claim 1, comprising lots of no less than
about 2200 square feet.
6. The subdivision of claim 1, comprising lots of no less than
about 1400 square feet.
7. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the courtyard comprises at
least 150 square feet.
8. The subdivision of claim 1 wherein the courtyard comprises at
least about 10 percent of the first lot.
9. The subdivision of claim 1 wherein the intermediate facade of
the first building comprises at least one window facing the
courtyard.
10. The subdivision of claim 1 wherein the forward side of the
first building comprises at least one window facing the
courtyard.
11. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the second building is
immediately adjacent to the side property line of the first
lot.
12. The subdivision of claim 1, where in the second building is
about three feet from the side property line of the first lot.
13. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the courtyard of the first
lot extends over the side property line onto the second lot.
14. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the vehicle passageway
comprises in alleyway.
15. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the vehicle passageway
comprises a shared driveway.
16. The subdivision of claim 1, wherein the vehicle passageway
comprises a street.
17. The residential subdivision of claim 1 wherein the first
building further comprises a front porch immediately adjacent to
the front door entrance, wherein the courtyard can be accessed from
the front porch.
18. The subdivision of claim 1 wherein the first building further
comprises a side door entrance and the courtyard is accessible
through the side door entrance.
19. The subdivision of claim 18, wherein the side door entrance
comprises French doors to provide additional light to the
building.
20. An improved residential subdivision having a plurality of lots,
at least one of said plurality of lots having no more than 2200
square feet in area, and having a first property line defining a
front of the lot, a second property line defining a rear of the
lot, and third and fourth property lines defining the sides of the
lot, and a first building disposed on the lot within the property
lines, said second property line being proximate to a vehicle
passageway and said first property line being proximate to a common
area, said first building having a front portion nearest to the
first property line and a rear portion nearest to the second
property line, the rear portion of the first building comprising a
vehicle garage and the front portion comprising a front door
entrance, said first building being a residential building having
between two to four floors, the improvement comprising: said at
least one lot of said plurality of lots having a courtyard on one
side of said first building and adjacent to the front portion of
said first building, the courtyard having a width of at least ten
feet and an area of at least 150 square feet; wherein one side of
said first building comprises a forward side along the front
portion of the building, a rear side along the rear portion of the
building, and an intermediate facade on the rear portion of the
first building, the forward side being recessed relative to the
rear side from the side property line, such that the rear portion
of the first building has a width greater than a width of the front
portion, and the intermediate facade is disposed between the
forward and rear sides of the first building and generally disposed
toward the first property line; wherein the forward side and the
intermediate facade comprise at least one window each; wherein said
courtyard is defined by one side of a second building disposed on
an adjacent lot, the forward side of the front portion of the first
building, the intermediate facade on the rear portion, and a
privacy fence, said privacy fence being positioned between the
intermediate facade of the first building and the front property
line; and wherein said common area proximate to the first property
line comprises a green space.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. application Ser.
No. 14/753,138 ("the 138 Application") filed Jun. 29, 2018. The
'138 Application is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety for all purposes, including but not limited to, all
portions describing the invention, the specific embodiments, the
purposes and objectives of the inventions, and variations on the
specific embodiments.
STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR
DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0004] The present invention relates to a residential subdivision
configuration. More particularly, the present invention relates to
an improved high density residential lot configuration and method
of providing high density residential subdivisions.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Ever increasing costs and demand for urban residential
housing led to an ever growing development of high density
residential subdivisions. As with many other subdivisions, the land
was divided into lots for housing and common areas. Common areas
would typically be owned and/or managed by an entity such as a
homeowners association. The major difference between a high density
residential subdivision and other residential subdivisions was that
the residential buildings were closer together, the number of
residential buildings per acre was much higher than the average,
and there was much less private outside areas. Historically, high
density residential subdivisions were originally primary found in
urban areas but the concept spread beyond urban settings into many
suburban areas.
[0006] Early high density residential subdivisions were laid out by
simply making the lots no larger than necessary to include the
residential building plus a minimum amount of area surrounding the
building to satisfy various housing codes. For example, FIG. 1
shows an example of a prior art high density layout in which
generally rectangular residential buildings 10 occupied the
majority of the lots 20. A small narrow strip 26 of the lot
extended along the building 10 between two adjacent buildings 10.
The residential buildings 10 generally had an entrance 16 that
faced a common area 24 and a vehicle garage 14 that faced a rear
alley 22. While this layout provided high density housing, it also
had several significant drawbacks. First, the occupants had
essentially no usable, private outdoor area to enjoy. Second, the
layout and the close proximity of buildings on the side and the
positioning of the garage effectively blocked out most of the
natural light from the inside of the building.
[0007] Several attempts were made to design high density
residential subdivisions that overcame these fundamental problems,
but each attempt had significant issues of its own. An example of
one prior art attempt to overcome the deficiencies of high density
residential housing layouts is shown in FIG. 2. In the layout of
FIG. 2, the buildings 30 are placed on the lots 40 in a similar
manner as in FIG. 1 with an entrance 36 facing a common area and a
vehicle garage 34 facing an ally 42 in the rear. A narrow strip 37
extends between the buildings 30. The modification was to remove a
notch from the rear portion of the building 30 and create a small,
back-side yard 38 at the rear corner of the lot 40. While this
provided an outdoor space, there were several problems with this
design. Initially, because the yard 38 was at the rear, it was
surrounded by garages and concrete alley making it a particularly
hot area during the summers with no particularly aesthetic view.
Additionally, this layout did little or nothing to address the
issue of a lack of natural light available to the buildings 30,
because the garage 34 bordered the yard 38.
[0008] FIG. 3 demonstrates another example of an attempt solve the
problems associated with high density housing. In the layout of
FIG. 3, the buildings 50 are placed on the lots 60 in a similar
manner as in FIG. 1 with an entrance 56 facing a common area 64 and
a vehicle garage 54 facing an ally 62 in the rear. A narrow strip
56 extends between the buildings 50; however, in this prior art
layout a notch is removed from a central portion of the building's
side thereby forming a small courtyard 58. While this layout
provided a private outdoor space, and removed that space from the
concrete alley (such as in FIG. 2), such courtyards 58 were much
like a cave, surrounded by high wall which blocked light not only
from the house, but also from the courtyard 58.
[0009] Another attempt to address the issues created by high
density residential housing developments was disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,671,570 to Kaufman. In Kaufman, the inventors detached the
vehicle garage from the house and shifted the garage and the rear
portion of the lot to the one side to create a larger usable back
yard. While Kaufman's layout addressed the issues of a private
outdoor space and some of the natural light issues, the design came
with several major disadvantages. Initially, detaching the garage
places significant limitations on the size of the home,
particularly for buildings having two or more floors. Further, the
back yard space remains surrounded by concrete and walls which
reduce its aesthetic appeal.
[0010] As can be seen, the demand for high density residential
housing subdivisions has grown, but such high density housing comes
with several particular problems including the lack of a usable,
enjoyable outdoor space and significant restriction on the amount
of natural light available to the interior of the residences.
Attempts have been made to overcome these deficiencies, but each
attempt has resulted in significant detrimental attributes and has
failed to solve these major problems.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention is an improved residential subdivision
layout for high density developments. The improved residential
subdivision layout includes placing residential buildings on lots
in a configuration such that the front facade of the residential
buildings faces a common area, preferably a green space or a common
street with green perimeters and front facades, while the rear
facade of the buildings includes a vehicle garage entrance and
faces a vehicle passageway. The improvement comprises the inclusion
of private courtyards between adjacent residents. Preferably, the
courtyards are positioned on a forward portion of the lot between
the residents such that the courtyards are near, and within visual
sight of the common area, but separated from it by a privacy
barrier, such as a fence or shrubbery. The preferred courtyard
common configurations not only provide a usable and private outside
areas in view of a common green space, but create openings between
the residents that allow natural light to enter the interior of the
buildings through windows adjacent to the courtyards.
[0012] In a particular embodiment, the present invention comprises
a residential subdivision having a plurality of lots, each lot
having a first property line defining a front of the lot, a second
property line defining a rear of the lot, and third and fourth
property lines defining the sides of the lot. The second property
line is proximate to a vehicle passageway and the first property
line being proximate to a common area, preferably a green space. A
first building is disposed on the lot within the property lines.
The first building has a forward portion nearest to the first
property line and a rear portion nearest to the second property
line, the rear portion of the building comprises a vehicle garage
and the forward portion comprises a front door entrance. One side
of the first building comprises a forward side along the front
portion of the building, a rear side along the rear portion of the
building, and an intermediate facade on the rear portion of the
dwelling, the forward side being recessed relative to the rear side
from the side property line, such that the rear portion of the
building has a width greater than a width of the front portion. The
intermediate facade is disposed between the forward and rear side
portions of the building and generally faces toward the first
property line. A courtyard is on one side of the building and
proximate to the forward portion of the building and is defined by
one side of a second building disposed on an adjacent lot, the
forward side of the front portion of the first building, at least
the intermediate facade on the rear portion, and a privacy barrier,
said privacy barrier being positioned between to the intermediate
facade of the building and the front property line.
[0013] Additional advantages of the invention are set forth in part
in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from
the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by
means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in
the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing
general description and the following detailed description are
exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the
invention, as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] A better understanding of the present invention can be
obtained when the following detailed description of the disclosed
embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following
drawings in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a plan view of typical prior art high density
housing having a front facade facing a common green area;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a plan view of typical prior art high density
housing having a back yard extending toward the side of the
house;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a plan view of typical prior art high density
housing having a courtyard along a central portion of a side of the
house;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a plan view of an embodiment of an improved
residential subdivision layout made in accord with the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a plan view of an embodiment of a residential
building and lot suitable for use in an improved residential
subdivision layout made in accord with the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a
residential building and lot suitable for use in an improved
residential subdivision layout made in accord with the present
invention.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a third embodiment of a residential
building and lot suitable for use in an improved residential
subdivision layout made in accord with the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 8 is a plan view of an embodiment of residential
subdivision layout made in accord with the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 9 is a plan view of an embodiment of residential
subdivision layout made in accord with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] The present invention is an improved residential subdivision
layout for high density developments. The improved residential
subdivision layout includes placing residential buildings on lots
in a configuration such that the front facades of the residential
buildings face a common area, preferably a green space or a common
street with green perimeters and front facades, while the rear
facades of the buildings, which include vehicle garage entrances,
face a vehicle passageway. The improvement comprises the inclusion
of private courtyards between residential buildings on adjacent
lots. Preferably, the courtyards are positioned on a forward
portion of the lot between the residential buildings such that the
courtyards are near, and within visual sight of the common area,
but separated from it by a privacy barrier, such as a fence or
shrubbery. Preferred configurations not only provide a usable and
private outside areas in view of a common green space, but create
openings between the buildings that allow natural light to enter
the interior of the buildings through windows adjacent to the
courtyards.
[0025] The unique configuration combining a courtyard at the front
side of the lot in view of the common area overcomes the
deficiencies of the prior art by allowing natural light into house
to light living, kitchen, and dining areas. Such an arrangement is
more aesthetically pleasing because the courtyard can look out over
a common area, preferably a green space, which makes the courtyard
look and feel larger. This configuration also eliminates prior art
problems of heat emanating from concrete surrounding back or side
yards. Because the courtyard gets adequate light in this
arrangement, grass, plants, and other shrubs can be utilized in the
courtyard to enhance the residents' enjoyment of the space.
[0026] One particular embodiment of a high density residential
subdivision is disclosed in FIG. 4. As will be recognized by those
of skill in the art, a high density subdivision comprises a section
of land that is partitioned into a number of lots 124. The lots
include a first property line 152 that defined the forward boundary
of the lot, a rear property line 154 that defines the rear boundary
of the lot, and third and fourth property lines 156 and 158 that
define the sides of the lots. While the lots in FIG. 4 are shown as
generally rectangular, the lots may have other shapes as needed
based upon the available land, street layout, land contours, etc.
FIGS. 8 and 9 depict various examples of other acceptable shapes
and show that shapes may vary within a particular subdivision. In a
preferred embodiments, lots 124 are less than about twenty-two
hundred square feet. In other preferred cases lots 124 may be less
than about fourteen hundred square feet. As shown in FIG. 4, lots
124 can be approximately the same size, or vary in size within a
subdivision.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 4, buildings 101, 102, 104, 106, 107 and
108 are designed for placement on lots 124 within the property
lines 152, 154, 146, and 158. Preferably, buildings 101, 102, 104,
106, 107 and 108 are residential buildings having between one to
four stories and wood framing. In preferred embodiments, the
residential buildings are single family homes, but can be duplexes
or other configurations with up to four single family units. In a
preferred embodiment, the residential buildings comprise between
about one thousand-four hundred to three thousand-eight hundred
square feet of living space (vehicle garage included). In one or
two story embodiments, the buildings preferably comprise between
about one thousand-four hundred to about two thousand-six hundred
square feet of living space. In three to four story embodiments,
the buildings preferably comprise between about two thousand-five
hundred to about three thousand-eight hundred square feet of living
space. As shown in FIG. 4, the buildings can be of different sizes,
shapes, and designs within the same subdivision. In some
embodiments, buildings can be connected along the rear portion
without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
[0028] The nature of a high density residential subdivision
requires that the residential building occupy a larger percentage
of the lot than would the average residential subdivision in a
particular area. While various ordinance and regulations can vary
from place to place, in preferred embodiments, the residential
building will occupy between about 45% and about 70% of the lot
124.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, residential buildings 101, 102, 104,
106, 107 and 108 have a vehicle garage 134 in the rear portion of
the building. In some embodiments, vehicle garage 134 may include a
dual vehicle garage. Vehicle garage 134 opens to toward the rear
property line and is connected, directly or indirectly, to a
vehicle passageway 120 to allow access to the vehicle garage 134.
Vehicle passageway 120 can be an alley, a shared drive, or in some
instances, a street. Rear property line 154 can be proximate to the
vehicle passageway or may form the midway point of the vehicle
passageway, or some similar arrangement.
[0030] A common area 122 lies in front of lots 124, preferably
adjacent to forward property line 152. In a preferred embodiment,
common area 122 is a green space. As will be understood by a person
of skill in the art, a green space comprises an area of land
generally devoid of buildings and development, and typically
covered by grass, trees, and or shrubs. A green space may also
comprise sidewalks and/or walkways, or other amenities such as a
playgrounds, swimming pools and/or small ponds. While the common
area 122 will preferably be a green space, in other instances the
common area could be a paved area, for example paved with paving
stones, cinders, etc. or even in some cases, a street with green
perimeters. Common area 122 is preferably between about 12 to 25
feet in depth, and more preferably about 15 to 30 feet, and extends
along the front property line of several lots 124 in the
subdivision.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, one particularly unique feature of the
high density residential subdivision of the present invention is
the inclusion of courtyards 140, 142, 143, 144, 145, and 147 in
view of the common area 122. As used herein, the term courtyard
refers to an outside area of the lot, not covered by the building,
and adjacent to one side of the building near the front portion of
the building. As an example, to form the courtyard 147, a side 114
along the front portion of the building 101 is recessed away from
the side property line 171 relative to the side 116 along the rear
portion of the house. An intermediate facade 112 connects the front
side 114 and the rear side 116. The limits of the courtyard 147 are
then generally defined by the front side 112 of the building 101,
the intermediate facade 112, a privacy barrier 146 and the outside
wall 170 of the building on the adjacent lot. While the buildings
shown in FIG. 4 are generally rectangular, the courtyard does not
require linear or rectangular walls and can include curved or
angled walls or similar known design variations for residential
buildings.
[0032] As will be recognized by a person of skill in the art, the
courtyard dimension can vary significantly depending upon the size
and dimensions of the lot, the size and dimensions of the house,
various deed restrictions and regulations, etc. In a preferred
embodiment the courtyard would be at least about eight to fourteen
feed in width, and more preferably at least about ten to twelve
feet in width. The length of the courtyard can also vary between
significantly with smaller courtyards 142, 143 and 146 having
lengths of between about ten to fifteen feet, and large courtyards
140 and 144 having lengths of fifteen to thirty feet. Preferably,
courtyards 140 to 147 have a minimum area of about one hundred and
fifty square feet or between about ten and fifteen percent of the
total lot area.
[0033] As will be recognized, courtyards 140, 142, 143, 144, 145
and 147 can include many variations of landscaping and amenities.
Courtyards 145 and 147 depict a portion of the courtyard primarily
having a ground covering such as paving stones, decking, or other
similar ground coverings. Larger courtyards may contain other
outdoor features such as small pools or other water features, and
outdoor fire places (see FIG. 6, feature 372). The unique feature
of having the courtyard next to the common area allows light into
the courtyard which expands the landscaping options over prior art
options such as central courtyards. The light allows grass and
shrubs to grow in the courtyard space. As shown in FIG. 4,
courtyards 140 and 142 can be simply an open outdoor space with
grass coverage, while courtyard 144 combines paved areas with grass
and landscaping.
[0034] As discussed above, the outside wall 170 of the residential
building on the adjacent lot forms the outside boundary of the
courtyard. For example, in FIG. 4, the outside wall (left) of
building 102 forms the outer boundary of courtyard 144. Preferably,
the residential buildings are built in a zero property line
arrangement where the outside wall of the adjacent building is
built at the property line. In this arrangement, the entirety of
the courtyard falls within the lot of residential building for
which the courtyard is intended. Other arrangements can be utilized
in which the courtyard extends over the property line onto the
adjacent lot, but easements and/or other deed arrangements become
necessary to ensure the ability to fully utilize the courtyard and
retain the privacy. Preferably, the outside wall of the adjacent
house that forms the courtyard will not have windows to enhance the
courtyard privacy, and which is generally consistent with various
housing regulations and fire codes.
[0035] A shown in FIG. 4, the forward limit of the courtyard is
generally defined by a privacy barrier 146. The privacy barrier 146
can be a privacy fence, shrubbery, or other similar landscaping
element. As will be recognized by those of skill in the art, a
privacy barrier must strike a balance between giving the resident a
sense of privacy in the courtyard and allowing the resident to see
the green space and allow ample light into the courtyard.
Preferably the privacy barrier 146 is between about two and a half
feet and about five feet in height. More preferably, the privacy
barrier 146 is no more than about four feet in height. As used
herein, privacy fence is meant to broadly include multiple kinds of
fencing, including but not limited to picket fences, plank fences,
farm fencing, and the like. Preferably privacy barrier 146 is
positioned along a line that runs generally parallel to the front
facade of the building and the front property line and lies
generally between the two. Other positions for privacy barrier 146
can also be acceptable from being positioned along the front
property line to proximate the front facade, depending upon the
particular design of the building. While FIG. 4 depicts a privacy
barrier in a generally linear fashion, privacy barrier 146 can be
of other configurations, such as curved or L-shaped, and privacy
barrier 146 is not necessarily parallel with the property line or
the front facade of the building.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the courtyard common concept
can be applied with a variety of different building and lot
layouts. FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment of a basic building/lot
layout for a high density subdivision designed in accord with the
present invention. As can be seen, courtyard 250 is positioned
adjacent to a front portion 204 of the residential building 200 and
separated from a common green area by privacy fence 240. The
courtyard 250 is defined by the front side 214 and the intermediate
facade 212 of the residential building 200, the privacy fence 240,
and the outside wall 270 of the adjacent building. The entryway 224
to building 200 is recessed from the front facade 216 and includes
a porch 226 which provides access to the courtyard 250. Inclusion
of the courtyard 250 near the common area allows an abundance of
natural light to reach the courtyard and, through windows 220, the
interior of the building 200. An optional fence 242 separates the
courtyard from the side yard 260 of the lot.
[0037] FIG. 6 depicts another embodiment of building/lot layout
designed in accordance with the high density residential
subdivision of the present invention. The design of FIG. 6 is
preferably utilized for larger sized high density lots. In this
particular design, entryway 324 is on the opposite side and
separate from the courtyard 350. Access to courtyard 350 is given
primarily through a set of French doors 352 on the front side 314
and side porch 354. Courtyard 350 is defined by front side 314 and
intermediate facade 312 of building 300, along with privacy fence
340 and outside wall 370 of the adjacent building. Optional fence
342 separates side yard 360 from courtyard 350. Windows 320 along
the front side 314 and intermediate facade 312 of the building 300
allow natural light to pass into the interior of building 300.
[0038] FIG. 7 depicts yet another embodiment of building/lot layout
designed in accordance with the high density subdivision of the
present invention. As can be seen, courtyard 450 is positioned
adjacent to a front portion 404 of the residential building 400 and
separated from a common green area by privacy fence 440. The
courtyard 450 is defined by the front side 414 and the intermediate
facade 412 of the residential building 400, the privacy fence 440,
and the outside wall 470 of the adjacent building. The entryway 424
to building 400 is recessed from the front facade 416 and includes
a porch 426 which provides access to the courtyard 450. Further
access to courtyard 450 is given through a side door 452 on the
front side 414 and side porch 454. Inclusion of the courtyard 450
near the common area allows an abundance of natural light to reach
the courtyard and, through windows 420, the interior of the
building 400.
[0039] FIGS. 8 and 9 depict to embodiments of high density
subdivisions designed in accord with the present invention. In FIG.
8, the high density subdivision is surrounded by streets 520, 522,
524, and 526. As shown within FIGS. 8 and 9, within the
subdivisions lots are divided and generally laid out such than a
common area 500, preferably a green space, abuts the front of the
lot and a vehicle passageway 510 abuts the rear portion of the lot.
Preferably, designs such as shown in FIGS. 4-7 or other similar
embodiments will be utilized throughout the subdivision to provide
the courtyard common design advantages. While preferably most lots
in the high density subdivision utilize there courtyard common
design, it is within the scope of the invention to include some
lots within the high density subdivision that do not follow this
layout without departing from the scope and spirit of the
invention.
[0040] While the terms used herein are believed to be
well-understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, definitions
are set forth to facilitate explanation of certain of the
presently-disclosed subject matter.
[0041] Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms
"a", "an", and "the" refer to one or more when used in this
application, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to
"a window" includes a plurality of such windows, and so forth.
[0042] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing
quantities of elements, dimensions such as width and area, and so
forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as
being modified in all instances by the term "about". Accordingly,
unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set
forth in this specification and claims are approximations that can
vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by
the presently-disclosed subject matter.
[0043] As used herein, the "about," when referring to a value or to
an amount of a dimension, area, percentage, etc., is meant to
encompass variations of in some embodiments plus or minus 20%, in
some embodiments plus or minus 10%, in some embodiments plus or
minus 5%, in some embodiments plus or minus 1%, in some embodiments
plus or minus 0.5%, and in some embodiments plus or minus 0.1% from
the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate to perform
the disclosed methods or employ the disclosed compositions.
[0044] The term "comprising", which is synonymous with "including"
"containing" or "characterized by" is inclusive or open-ended and
does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
"Comprising" is a term of art used in claim language which means
that the named elements are essential, but other elements can be
added and still form a construct within the scope of the claim.
[0045] As used herein, the phrase "consisting of" excludes any
element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim. When the
phrase "consists of" appears in a clause of the body of a claim,
rather than immediately following the preamble, it limits only the
element set forth in that clause; other elements are not excluded
from the claim as a whole.
[0046] As used herein, the phrase "consisting essentially of"
limits the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps,
plus those that do not materially affect the basic and novel
characteristic(s) of the claimed subject matter. With respect to
the terms "comprising", "consisting of", and "consisting
essentially of", where one of these three terms is used herein, the
presently disclosed and claimed subject matter can include the use
of either of the other two terms.
[0047] As used herein, the term "and/or" when used in the context
of a listing of entities, refers to the entities being present
singly or in combination. Thus, for example, the phrase "A, S, C,
and/or O" includes A, S, C, and O individually, but also includes
any and all combinations and subcombinations of A, S, C, and O.
[0048] As used herein, "proximate" means near, but not necessarily
at a specific point. For example, a property line is considered
proximate to an object if it is within 10 feet of that object.
[0049] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made in the present invention
without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other
embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in
the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the
invention disclosed herein. For example, the present invention can
cover a duplex (two residences on the same lot attached to each
other) where the courtyard is positioned between the forward
portions of the two attached residences. The foregoing disclosure
and description are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and
various changes in the details of the illustrated apparatus and
construction and method of operation may be made without departing
from the spirit in scope of the invention which is described by the
following claims.
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