Townhouses started gaining popularity more than a century ago in urban areas, where open land was still largely available. But today, modern variations are sprouting in cities and suburbs to prove that townhouses have a future in the real estate market and provide a great way of life.

Townhouses are built side by side and connected by common walls, typically two or more stories tall. Usually owners share the cost of maintaining common areas, but hold the title to their unit.

Here’s the layout of a typical Chicago townhouse: the alley is eliminated, reducing by half the paved space of the block. The car is moved out of a separate garage and into an open air car-port under the townhouse. Each townhouse is connected to a newly liberated green space; the salvaged area is developed as large scale recreational amenities for the residents. The structure is constructed of prefabricated and poured-in-place concrete, while the facades are different combinations of glass and prefabricated insulated panels. By combining open and contemporary floor plans with timeless Queenslander or Colonial facades, design projects create a seamless harmonious union of yesterday and tomorrow.

To maximize a small space, the town home design should feature light colors and proper proportions, height, angles and repetition of items throughout the room. Having a good time when putting a space together is a must, since then both you and your friends will be comfortable in it. Finally, give a room a quick makeover with fresh paint on the ceiling. A crisp white ceiling with crown molding will give the feeling of more volume, making up for lack of floor space.

When you are considering the design of your townhouse in Chicago, keep the following things in mind: security, building shape, public open space, building layout, landscaping, and parking. Parking is one of the most difficult issues to resolve in affordable housing development projects. It can overwhelm the best designed buildings and open spaces, so its overall impact must be considered very carefully. You should not let the parking space dominate the property or the streetscape. Security is another important consideration, and parking areas should allow easy access and surveillance from the housing units.

The overall shape of the new building has a huge impact on the surrounding neighborhood and on how a development is perceived by the community where it is located. The height of a new building is extremely important. If it is too high it can overwhelm its neighbors, if its too low it can create a gap in the physical “fabric” of a neighborhood. So you have to be extremely careful and consider the whole of the surrounding buildings. Creating a building whose size and shape generally complements the size and shape of surrounding buildings will make the new development more acceptable to its neighbors.

Sensitively designed public open space can turn a good development into a great one, providing a lasting amenity for residents and neighbors alike.

The whole layout of the building and they way it looks is critical to its acceptance within a community. The windows, facade, roof shape, size of openings, trim and details, and materials and color should be generally compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and should not vary widely from that of its neighbors or from that of good quality middle class housing nearby.

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This entry was posted on Friday, February 23rd, 2007 at 5:33 pm and is filed under Luxury Condos(t) . You can leave a response.