PatternRecommended
Half-Hidden Garden
Pattern 111Description
If gardens (especially private gardens) are placed where they're fully visible from the street, they feel exposed and aren't used. If fully hidden behind a wall, they feel inaccessible. The most-used gardens are partially visible — glimpsed through a fence, courtyard, or layered planting.
Why this exists
The half-hidden quality reads as 'private but inviting.' Fully exposed gardens become front-yard décor; fully hidden ones become storage zones.
Categories
SitePrivacy
Source
Christopher Alexanderno manifest entry
A Pattern Language (1977 (Oxford University Press))
Section: Pattern 111
Published 1977-01-01 · last verified 2026-05-09
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Intimacy Gradient · Pattern 127
- Main Entrance · Pattern 110
- Entrance Room · Pattern 130
- Couple's Realm · Pattern 136
- Private Terrace on the Street · Pattern 140
Last reviewed 2026-05-09.