Architectural Product Types: Cluster Homes
![Avenue One | Motorcourt Homes Designed by WHA](https://www.whablog.com/components/com_wordpress/wp/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Pics4.jpg)
One of the current challenges in housing development is maximizing limited land space while retaining a single-family detached home. One of the solutions is “Court Living.” This architectural product type is a cluster of several homes that share a common driveway or alley. The cluster module can maintain a conventional street character by having homes with front doors facing the street with a second or third row of homes accessed by a shared alley. Like a private street or cul-de-sac, residents can utilize the common court space. Traditionally marketed as starter homes, court living is becoming increasingly popular due to today’s skyrocketing home prices and limited availability of land.
![Hillsdale at College Park | Cluster Homes Designed by WHA | Photo by Arthur Gomez](https://www.whablog.com/components/com_wordpress/wp/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Pics.jpg)
Auto Court / Motor Court Cluster: Four or more units are arranged with front doors and garages facing a common stub street or driveway.
Design Criteria:
• Provide front doors to the auto court for inside units and to the street for outside units.
• Use enhanced elevations for homes facing the public street.
• Provide porches or balconies to enhance architectural styles.
• Consider additional building articulation through recessed garage doors, recessing or cantilevering second stories, and varying roof pitches and directions.
![Auto Court / Motor Court Cluster](https://www.whablog.com/components/com_wordpress/wp/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Pics5.jpg)
Pros:
• Each unit has its own private rear yard.
• Outside units face the street and maintain a conventional street character.
Cons:
• Inside units have front doors facing a common driveway.
• Guests must walk past front units and into the court to reach inside units.
• Front yards for inside units are limited.
![Auto Court / Motor Court Cluster](https://www.whablog.com/components/com_wordpress/wp/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Pics2.jpg)
Green Court Cluster: Four or more units are arranged with front doors facing a common green paseo with a rear alley for garage access.
Design Criteria:
• Provide front door access to the green court.
• Use enhanced elevations for homes facing the public street.
• Provide front door entries along the public street.
• Place garage access at rear allies.
• Provide opportunities for landscaping along the green court and rear allies to soften the architecture.
• Provide landscape and monument features at the green court entries.
• Provide porches and/or covered entries facing the green court.
• Consider additional building articulation through recessed garage doors, recessing or cantilevering second stories, varying roof pitches and directions, and varying the setbacks of the homes along the green court.
![Plan View of a Typical Green Court](https://www.whablog.com/components/com_wordpress/wp/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Pics6.jpg)
Pros:
• Garages are tucked behind homes on a rear alley allowing for a large front porch or front yard.
• Guests and residents can walk inside a landscaped path to reach their destination.
Cons:
• Each unit will have only a private side yard but no backyard and depending on the layout of the cluster, there may be reciprocal side yards.
• Units have only a small driveway apron instead of a full driveway.
![View of Street Side Unit and Green Court Space](https://www.whablog.com/components/com_wordpress/wp/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Pics7.jpg)
![View of street side unit and rear alley](https://www.whablog.com/components/com_wordpress/wp/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Pics8.jpg)
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