How to Make a Busy Street Disappear
A location on a busy street need not be a dealbreaker.
If you’re dubious, consider 5600 Blake Road in Edina’s gorgeous Parkwood Knolls neighborhood, listed by Edina Realty’s Matt Lill.
I count no fewer than five ways the owner and their builder are minimizing the proximity of a busy street, skillfully using good design principles and the lot’s own features:
One. Setback. The home is set back at least 100′ feet from Blake Road — possible because the lot is .55 acre.
Two. Elevation. The lot gently slopes towards the street; the home sits on the lot’s highest point, about 30 feet above street level.
Three. Landscaping. The owner is building a berm (earth structure) between Blake Road and the home.
Four. Garage location. The builder is exploring putting up a second, detached garage between the home and the street, further screening out road traffic.
Five. Home orientation. While the home’s facade is east-facing (top photo), its interior spaces are oriented north-south.
Not only does that make the road recede even more — it showcases the beautiful pond views just to the north (as does the north-facing deck off the Owner’s Suite — see photo, above).
As the builder proudly noted to a roomful of Edina Realty agents the other week, “the home lives on the water.”
Indeed.
See also, “Garage/Driveway ‘Switcheroo.'”