The Front To Back Duplex With Exterior Party Wall

The duplex is a house plan usually mirrored side to side, eliminating one of four setbacks to gain extra useable area - and making for an economy of scale with building crews constructing two houses at once. VRT proposes mirroring the house plan front to back eliminating the backyard setback - and making one sidewall windowless so as to create spacious private side courtyards which extend all the way to the street. In this way pleasant private indoor / outdoor living can be had on a surprisingly small footprint. In the case of the design shown below the unit lot size is just 55' W x 86' L working out to 4,730 sq ft or some 9 units per acre.

The street is landscaped with shade trees and shrubbery. A carport can accommodate 2 large cars or 3 compact ones. Next to the carport is unfinished space for laundry, mechanicals, and storage. A large living room occupies one side of the unit based on Frank Lloyd Wrights 1953 NYC Exhibition design. On the other side is a kitchen and dining room with tall glass doors opening onto a large private courtyard of around 1,500 sq ft. At the front of this courtyard is a spa and raised terrace with views to the street. At the back is an outdoor kitchen conveniently placed next to the indoor kitchen. On the second floor are 4 bedrooms and 3 baths. The indoor kitchen has around 25 lineal feet of counterspace, the outdoor kitchen around half that.