The Four Seasons, or Master Plan Sonata
Must-have for an all-season courtyard
I am not Vivaldi or Tchaikovsky, so I'll stick to the "dry" language of facts and make some conclusions based on them.
Let's start with the obvious thing: substantially entire Russian territory has four seasons. Four! With rains of various intensity, winds, snow veil, and scorching sunshine.
But for some reason, in almost all brochures of real estate developers, I see smiling faces of residents in light T-shirts, shirts, etc. Happy children in t-shirts swing and ride on a merry-go-round. Let's take advertisements on the websites of developers in Tyumen as an example (see photos below). But it snows here for almost 6 months of the year!
Well, let's assume that summer is associated with happiness and positive emotions from the marketing point of view. However... I don’t think that rosy-cheeked children in fur coats sliding down an ice chute would have evoked less positive emotions.
But it's not only about the promotional products! The same approach is usually reflected in the courtyard space as well. I can see that surrounding grounds are equipped with basketball and workout grounds, bike paths. But it all works only in summer! And what about the remaining 9 months? Even indisputable market leaders haven't addressed this issue in full yet (see photos below).
There are some good examples, but it would be nice to extend the best practices to the entire housing development sector.
Designers won't take the initiative unless there is a clear task from the developer, so the full responsibility rests with the latter. Mixed use of the territory appropriate for all seasons should be thought out yet at the stage of preliminary design. Let's try to identify basic requirements by season
Spring
The courtyard space for spring should accommodate: protection from rain and wind, decorative lighting, sports grounds with good drainage. I'd like to focus on green spaces separately.
It's more attractive to use trees and shrubs with bright and visually pleasant blossoming. For example, cherry or apple trees would be perfect for the areas between the middle latitudes and 580° N. Furthermore, if you plant mature trees before commissioning the building, you can significantly accelerate sales or increase sales margins.
For the northern territories, it would be more reasonable to use conifers. The southern regions are the richest ones in this regard. Everything can be planted here: from peach trees and chestnuts to such exotic plants like catalpa. If using annual flowers, they should be combined in such a way to bloom throughout the entire warm period.
Summer
Hot summers exist even in the northern regions. Not to mention the southern ones, such as the Krasnodar, Stavropol, Rostov regions and Crimea. Unfurnished playgrounds empty during the day, and sports grounds near the roads look like places for walking prisoners (see photos below).
The following elements of landscaping can create a comfortable environment: covered pergolas, grounds, and benches for protection from the sun. Retractable stretch fabric awnings are a good example.
Greenery can serve as additional protection. It's mandatory to provide for an irrigation system. A small fountain can be arranged in the courtyard. For large spaces, drinking fountains would not be superfluous for sure.
Summer sports grounds should be located taking into consideration the shading effect from nearby buildings. Some areas should also be allocated for cycling, rollerblading, etc.
It's also worth considering fruit-bearing trees. Ripening apricots make the surroundings brighter. This generally applies to the southern lands of Russia, although cherry and apple trees grow in most of the territory of our country. If possible, organize barbecue areas but with safe distances to the windows, etc.
Autumn
Here the basic principles have a lot in common with spring: protection from rain and wind, decorative lighting in the courtyard space, sports grounds with good drainage. Try to "drag" the dwellers to the courtyard by creating there comfortable conditions for them.
Winter
The period when most adults are not eager to go outside. Why not let the dwellers change this habit? Hardscape elements should be located in such a way so that in winter it is possible to "build" snow slides, towns, sculptures, etc. on the territory of the courtyard. A place for a Christmas tree should be allocated as well. Sports grounds must be designed in a universal format to make it possible to play football or hockey during cold seasons. And don't forget about large amounts of snow: areas should be provided for the temporary snow storage until the management company removes it.
Coda (the concluding section of a sonata or fugue)
Summarizing the principles mentioned above, we can conclude:
— Some courtyard spaces should be covered with awnings protecting from rain, snow, and sunshine.
— Green spaces should be designed based on climatic features and be appropriate for all seasons.
— Sports grounds, bike paths, etc. should be of multiple-purpose.
— Lighting system of the courtyard space and the surrounding territory should provide for different lighting scenarios.
— And the main thing: people don't buy real estate, but a lifestyle. Therefore, bright and positive emotions evoked by the landscaping of the surrounding territory is one of the decisive factors in deciding where to buy an apartment.
