Five projects, two developers, and what makes them work

Vince Graham and Robert Turner share a formula for success. Down in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, two young developers are mastering the art and technique of building neighborhoods and towns. Vince Graham and Robert Turner have known each other since the second grade, and after college worked together on a resort development near the town of Beaufort. Observing how well Beaufort functions as a town — and the demand for real estate in the historic district — gave them the idea of recreating a village. The result was Newpoint, a much-admired traditional neighborhood development (TND) in Beaufort, which got underway in 1992. Since Newpoint, Turner and Graham have gone separate ways, successfully developing infill projects (the Village of Port Royal and Broad Street) and more TNDs (I’On and Habersham). Largely due to the efforts of Graham and Turner, their region has become a hotbed of activity. “In terms of actually getting projects built, the Lowcountry of South Carolina has become the new epicenter of the new urbanist movement,” says author Peter Katz. Another noteworthy TND, Daniel Island, is being developed in Charleston by Matt Sloan. Graham, whose I’On project has been highly successful, is now pursuing TND opportunities in Crane Island, Florida; North Augusta, South Carolina; and Norfolk, Virginia. In their mid-30s, Turner and Graham are among the nation’s most experienced TND developers. Both are “true believers” in the NU planning principles who have succeeded in making a profit while maintaining a consistently high quality of streetscapes and community design. And, they have done it with affordable and high-end homes, on infill and greenfield sites. It’s important to note that Turner and Graham are not identical in their development philosophies and techniques, and each has had a lot of help from partners and practitioners (see the accompanying project profiles for details). That said, there are common elements to all five Turner and Graham projects that contribute to making them successful. These elements include very narrow streets, careful selection of materials, bringing houses close to the street, providing comfortable backyards, and adherence to, in Graham’s words, “a small set of simple rules” in the design of houses. Narrow streets All of the Lowcountry projects have very narrow residential streets, and their value cannot be overstated. Taking all five projects as a whole, the residential streets range from 10 to 24 feet wide — most between 18 and 22 feet wide — curb face to curb face. Those streets are far narrower than is the norm in TNDs — which generally have streets 27 to 30 feet wide, still significantly reduced from the conventional subdivision standard of about 35 feet. For creating charming residential streets, 30 feet is probably too wide, 27 feet is okay, but 18 to 22 feet is far better. With two-way streets that narrow, and intermittent parking on one or two sides, cars move very slowly and streets feel comfortable and safe for pedestrians. The best thing about narrow streets, from a development point of view, is that they actually raise property values while costing less money to build. The narrow streets approach extends to entrances and mixed- use areas of the Lowcountry projects. The town centers of I’On and Habersham don’t feature wasteful expanses of asphalt (I’On’s commercial streets are 30 feet wide). Upon entering these projects, the immediate inclination is to drive slowly. Materials None of the Turner or Graham projects use vinyl siding. In the most affordable projects, the Village of Port Royal and Broad Street, HardiPlank is the dominant siding material. In I’On, where almost all houses are high end, homes are clad in brick, stucco, or wood. Even HardiPlank is not allowed (the standards call for a half-inch shadow line under clapboard siding, which only can be satisfied with real wood). Newpoint and Habersham, where high-end homes are part of the mix, employ stucco, brick, wood, and HardiPlank. Likewise, no windows with flat muntins are used. Instead, simulated divided light (SDL) is employed. SDL windows generally have muntins which are directly attached to the pane and have the same profile as the surrounding sash. Turner and Graham require SDLs with a spacer bar between the panes to prevent passersby from seeing through the inside and outside muntins. SDL windows look just as good as traditional windows with separate panes of glass, known as true divided light — only SDL are better insulated and easier to maintain. The siding and the windows together make a significant difference in the perceived quality of the homes — especially in the affordable infill projects, Broad Street and the Village of Port Royal. Design details Porches are at least eight feet deep and houses are placed on raised foundations (usually at least 30 inches above the ground). In affordable homes, porches are kept very simple, including exposed rafters and chamfered 8’ by 8’ columns. More formal porches include classical columns with capitals that extend beyond the architrave. Similarly, the eaves details are either handled very simply or formally, depending on the budget. The pitch of roofs, also, is regulated. In just about every case, historic precedent is followed based on vernacular Lowcountry architecture. In short, Graham and Turner don’t reinvent the wheel — they mainly observe. Homes close to the street According to Graham, it’s important to have “the guts to pull houses up close to the street.” The streets in the five projects are unusually intimate, because single homes are almost never more than 20 feet from the sidewalk. In Newpoint, homes are 12 to 18 feet from the public right of way. I’On homes are placed only 6 to 12 feet back. These setbacks are quite common in traditional neighborhoods, but placing houses this close runs against the grain of modern developers — even many of those that are doing TND. Of course, pulling the house up close goes hand in hand with using appropriate materials, and getting key details right. “When you pull the house up to the street, you see the materials and the architectural details much more clearly,” says Graham. A narrow street is even more important to bringing the houses up close. In I’On, residential streets range from 17 to 22 feet wide, which makes them not only inoffensive, but pleasant. Residents comfortably sit on their porches virtually on top of the passersby and traffic. Likewise, the closeness of the houses reinforces the narrowness of the street and pedestrian activity — creating a synergy that further calms traffic. Houses very close to the street with plenty of windows also mitigates against crime — making gates and other suburban security systems unnecessary. Comfortable backyards Many builders in NU projects focus a lot of attention on improving the facades and streetscapes, but neglect the back. Graham and Turner employ a few tricks that result in private space for each home. Pulling houses close to the street leaves more room in the back. Also, Turner and Graham generally sell lots at least 110 or 120 feet deep (as opposed to many NU projects, where lots are 90 to 100 feet deep). When garages are built, they are always detached on an alley. These features — in combination with a fence, wall, or bushes — gives residents real privacy. Alleys, furthermore, are kept very informal. There are no curbs. In Newpoint, alleys are gravel and dirt. In I’On, alleys have nine feet of asphalt pavement with four feet of gravel on both sides. The right of way is 20 feet. Care is used to preserve trees mid-block, giving the alleys the character of narrow, pleasant country lanes.