SHARE
Lot Variations for Every Lifestyle
December 14, 2020
Each year, available land for sale is slim and spendy, which means more builders are facing the challenge of creating successful plans on tricky and unique lots. Whether narrow, wide, or infill, they each take special planning to ensure they will result in new homes that generate maximum interest for potential buyers.
Narrow Lot
Just because the lot is narrow doesn’t mean the house has to be crammed! Painted Prairie in a growing suburb of Denver offers a huge lifestyle in a narrow home. Rather than expanding out, these homes go up. Each plan in the series is only 24 ½ feet wide, yet it feels just as spacious as a typical 30+ foot wide home. Using height as an advantage, the design incorporates open staircases to add volume and in turn spaciousness to the floor plan. On the “Elevate” plan, angling the front walls created something completely different for this price point. It resulted in creative outdoor spaces on each floor and a unique style for the modest space.
Wide-Shallow
Successful homes in Surprise, AZ, typically all follow the same formula. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right? That’s not the approach at Sterling Grove. This collection of homes within the master planned community offers wide-shallow designs. By integrating several wide-shallow lots at strategic locations throughout the development, Toll Brothers was able to introduce some unique plans to the area. The moment buyers walk in the front door, they are enveloped by views of the outdoor space enhanced by the expansive retractable sliding glass door along the back wall. This design creates private living hubs on either side of the home and a larger outdoor area than similarly sized homes on more traditional lots.
Infill
Infill lots can create many challenges as builders strive to get the density, style and target market right. But successfully navigating these challenges can lead to huge payoffs. Garden Lofts is a brand new, unique design to the area that sets the stage for the future of this Salt Lake City neighborhood. At 4 acres, the project squeezes in 272 units and a large parking garage with nearly 275 parking spaces. Every square inch of space was used on this parcel, yet it feels spacious with a strong presence. The building features C-shape detailed articulation to strategically draw your eye toward the entrance of the multifamily building. The balconies and other projections offer tons of movement to what could’ve been a flat surface.
Gone are the days of using the same repeatable, simple design on a square lot. As more land gets developed, builders will be forced to continue finding unique floor plans that can maximize their investment. The creative solutions that solve this challenge will be a huge win for future buyers.
These projects were featured in Volume 10 of our inspire magazine. Check it out here!