Today's blog is contributed by our MOSAIC Development Manager, Benn Duffell. Many of you have likely been toured by him on one of the Design Tour Events. Take it away Benn!

The landscape around a MOSAIC townhome is as carefully considered as the home itself. We consider the front and rear yards of the home an extension of the living space, and we design it just as carefully as we do the living room or kitchen.

Even though you live in a rowhome, we want each homeowner to have the same feeling of ownership of outdoor space as if living in a single family home. We want to provide just enough separation from the sidewalk that the home owner takes ownership of the space, but at the same time the yards are not blocked off from the community.

The procession from sidewalk to front door begins with a short hedge that borders the sidewalk. This hedge partially screens the wooden three rail fence that encloses the yard. A gate in each fence is the transition point between public space and semi private space. A taller hedge or shrub inside the fence provides some visual privacy.

We also use hedging to separate the front yards of the homes because they provide privacy as well as defining the limits of the yard. A grass yard provides space for family and pets to hang out. Additional shrubs are planted up against the house. You step up to a concrete stoop complete with custom MOSAIC tile in every MOSAIC home. Stepping up on the stoop gives a sense of arrival to a home, and represents the final step from outdoors to indoors.

We hope you’ll take a moment the next time you’re walking to your MOSAIC home to appreciate the landscape. :)

Posted on March 11 2011

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