Tips for Creating Privacy in Compact Communities

Designing for privacy in residential neighborhoods often means creating distance between homes, but that’s not always possible for homes developed on tight lot lines. In these communities, privacy can’t depend on space alone. Instead, designers and builders have to be intentional about working in private spaces into a community's architectural design. Whether it's a single-family community, townhomes, or a larger multifamily development, builders and designers can work together to address privacy concerns from the start of a project. 

In a recent blog post, Greenwood Village, Colorado–based architecture firm BSB Design highlights several projects that demonstrate how they’ve successfully protected residents’ sense of privacy. In Hunters Point, one such community located in Cortez, Fla., the architecture firm explains how private spaces were shaped by both space constraints as well as environmental factors:

Homes sit close to one another along a narrow site, leaving little room for lateral separation. Flood zone requirements elevate primary living spaces above grade, but the architectural response goes further by carefully controlling how those elevated spaces engage adjacent homes. The transition from ground level to living space reinforces this privacy strategy, clearly distinguishing public arrival from private daily life while allowing the architecture to quietly manage exposure rather than relying on distance alone.

Side elevations are intentionally restrained, with limited window openings of smaller size or high fixed glass that reduce direct views between neighboring units. Instead, primary glazing is oriented toward water views and outdoor living areas, allowing interiors to feel open without exposing residents to close adjacencies. This approach uses elevation, orientation and selective transparency together, ensuring that even within a tight footprint, homes maintain a sense of comfort and separation.