Charlotte-based custom home builder Grandfather Homes is borrowing some tradition from the Dutch with its planned construction of 18 homes in Elizabeth built around a woonerf (pronounced Voan-erf).
Quite literally woonerf means living yard. For the Grandfather Homes project, the hope is to seamlessly combine streets and pedestrian-friendly areas. The ultimate goal being walkable urbanism, something the city has been trending toward in recent years.
The Towers at Mattie Rose, as the enclave of duets and triets is to be called, will be located off Beaumont Road. With land in and around Uptown coming at a premium price, these urban projects are embracing smaller living spaces in closer proximity to one another. The woonerf will give residents space to socialize outside but also allow vehicle access without restricting or separating the two areas.
The woonerf will serve as both a roadway for all modes of transportation and an outdoor gathering space with neither sidewalks, speed humps, stop signs or traffic lights. Unlike a traditional street, there is no demarcation between pedestrian areas and vehicle space. The two blend seamlessly without topography changes of curbing.
Several cities across the United States have adopted the woonerf concept. Seattle’s Bell Street Park is a 4-block area of shared streets that functions as park space and vehicle travel area for residents of one of the city’s most densely populated areas.
Homes will be between 2,200 square feet and 2,800 square feet and have at least 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Homes will be priced from the $600,000s.
Grandfather Homes has built several custom homes in Charlotte. Their present and past work can be viewed on their site. The company is currently working on the Fountains at Mattie Rose in Dilworth. The group of duets, or a building of 2 residences that are bought and sold separately, is planned for space on the 800 block of Ideal Way. Those will start in the $700,000s.