The Art of Community

The task of establishing strong and lasting communities doesn’t rest solely on the people that take residence in a neighborhood. We firmly believe that a community’s design plays a significant role in the health of a community. 

We’ve blogged before about backwards neighborhoods, but it's the small details that are fascinating and what makes a difference in a neighborhood. The architects at UDA in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania have designed many of our floorplans and community layouts. Their portfolio includes more than just nice single-family homes. One of the strengths in their portfolio is to employ design to breathe life back into communities that have become run down. Three pillar ideas that can turn a community around and sustain a strong community are: safety, connectivity, and community.

Safety is so much more than the neighborhood watch. Builders can influence how safe a neighborhood feels with home designs. How safe would you feel walking down a street where the homes had no windows, and solid doors? Where would you turn if for some reason you needed help in some way? It’s an extreme example yes, but the visual does help make the point. In an area where homes have lots of windows and prominent doors a comfort boosting feeling is communicated to our minds. Would you be surprised to find out that the width of your street and the radius of your corners affects your community safety? The wider the street, the faster traffic will travel regardless of posted speed limits. The tighter the radius on a street corner forces cars to slow down much more to be able to make turns. Taming vehicular traffic is key to a safe neighborhood.

Connectivity in this day and age could mean anything from Internet connectivity to physical connections with other humans. In many of our neighborhoods there are barriers both seen and unseen that hamper the level of connectivity. Distance from your front door to sidewalks and other public places is an invisible barrier that can keep social interaction from happening. Privacy fences send a keep out message even when that is not necessarily their intent. Connectivity can increase with things like walking paths connecting people to public spaces, to other parts of the community, and to places like churches, shops, and recreation.

The feel in your community of course has a lot to do with the mixture of residents, but details in the buildings themselves can set the stage for residents to flourish together rather than end up behaving like hermits. Color of homes is an important aspect in community. Have you ever been in a neighborhood where all the homes are the exact same color? It can be hard to find your way around; there is zero energy and personality in the air. Of course we hate to see people go overboard with color, but to pair historically accurate color palettes with strong architectural styles can mean more pleasant personality to your neighborhood. The concept of 4-sided architecture also matters. It is easy to spot neighborhoods where no attention is paid to this principle. If done poorly or completely ignored, sides of homes end up with zero or scattered window patterns, the back and sides of the home don’t match the front, and the look of a particular side of the home is an unpleasant sight. 4-sided architecture creates appealing homes from which ever angle you see them Community feel also becomes warmer when people spend time living outdoors. Creating outdoor living spaces will allow this to happen naturally. Social interaction can take place organically and effortlessly when this is the case.

Think of your current neighborhood or where you grew up. Can you give it a grade when it comes to these three pillars of safety, connectivity, and community? While other builders may focus on 4-car garages and jetted tubs, we’ll begin first to center our focus on these things that you may not see on an included features list.

To share this message, and spark the imaginations of our model home visitors, we commissioned some artists to share these ideas through attractive illustration. Look for them when you come visit one of our model homes.

Trust the Process

Choosing a builder for your new home isn’t only about the structure you’d like to build. In many respects, the builders in a geographic area are likely to use many similar materials in their homes, and some of the very trade partners they contract with (electricians, painters, plumbers) are the same. You aren’t going to a particular builder because of the brand of lumber they build homes with, but because you trust that they know the best way to acquire quality materials to construct a cost-efficient and lasting home. Through all of the homebuilding details, trust is key to the entire process, and both builder and homebuyer should trust the overall building schedule. It should come as no surprise that a home building process can turn sideways when someone acts outside an established system. Homebuilders can shoot themselves in the foot by bending rules and making exceptions, and homebuyers can add unnecessary stress and burden to their lives when they act outside construction guidelines.

Can mistakes happen even with an established process? Certainly they can. However, good processes contain a series of safety nets from start to finish. These safety nets are in place to protect everyone involved, and make sure everyone remains on the same page. Even when the home building is proceeding smoothly and peacefully these safety nets should be used and checked along the way. They are there for a reason.

So whether it be locations, floorplans or home features that attract you to a specific builder, remember those details are only part of the entire equation. Make sure to find out about the builder’s process, and make sure you feel comfortable putting all your trust into it from start to finish.

You can find some details of the Destination Homes Home Building Process here.

Since May, Destination Homes has played host to a series of Saturday morning classes featuring local artisans and experts.

Held every other weekend at the Hill Farms community in Kaysville, the Destination Homes Summer Education Series gave Wasatch Front residents an opportunity to attend free courses, ranging in topics from muscle training to making macarons.

Chef Tina from the Harmons Cooking School at Farmington Station Park.

“I really enjoyed both of the (Harmons Cooking School) cooking classes that I attended,” said Liz Helm of Bountiful, Utah. “Not only did I learn a slew of new recipes, but also crazy kitchen gadgets that I never knew existed!”

Nate Kirkland from Sportsplex Gyms in Kaysville.

“The (Sportsplex) class I went to about exercise and dieting myths was very eye-opening,” said Cassidy Goodfellow of Layton, Utah.  “I can’t believe how lose regulations are on labeling foods as ‘healthy’ or ‘whole grain.’”

Caroline Armelle Drake from Armelleblog.com.

Andrea West from Andrea West Design.

In addition to a wealth of new insight, the classes provided both instructors and attendees the chance to meet others in their community.

"It was refreshing for those who attended to meet others who had similar questions and concerns about decorating their spaces," said presenter Andrea West. "I met numerous people who live close to me and share the same interests. It was great."

Kathleen Bloom from Cactus & Tropicals.

Many thanks to our wonderful instructors who made the Summer Education Series possible. 

Saturday, May 31st, Destination Homes kicked off our Summer Education Series at Hill Farms by inviting Chef Tina Jean from the Harmons Station Park Cooking School to cook up some of her breakfast favorites.

Chef Tina, who completed a degree in Culinary Management at the Art Institute of Salt Lake City, prepared a three course breakfast of fresh broiled hash browns, spanish frittatas and cinnamon sugar blueberry scones.

To sign up for Chef Tina's second Summer Series class on June 28th, or to register for other free educational courses, CLICK HERE.

Heritage Elementary Billboard Contest

This April, Destination Homes teamed with students from Heritage Elementary School to create artwork showcasing the meaning of home for a series of new billboard ads.

“Looking at something through the eyes of a kid always offers a fun and refreshing perspective on things,” said Ryan Snarr, Marketing Director for Destination Homes. “We are really excited about the results.”

Using no more than six words, fourth graders from five different classes were asked to define what home meant to them by completing the phrase “The Place…” with an accompanying illustration. Winning student entries will be featured on the 14’ by 48’ digital billboard located at the Antelope Drive Exit in Layton.

“My students loved being creative and seeing their ideas come to life in their advertisements,” said Ashley Saunders, fourth grade teacher at Heritage Elementary School. “They were able to really think deeply about what their home means to them. With the limited amount of words, they also learned how to say a lot with just a few words which emphasized the importance of word choice in writing.” 

Entries ranged from abstract ideas to colorful depictions of the student’s lives.

Lindsey age 9, from Mrs. Heidi Hansen’s fourth grade class, chose to illustrate her favorite room in her home. “I really like my theatre room,” said Lindsey. “That is where we watch movies and hang out as a family.”

Olivia age 9, from Mrs. Suzy Price’s fourth grade class, opted to concentrate on what was most eye-catching. “I used lots of red because it gets people’s attention.”

Once each of the 45 submitted entries were collected, they were created into mini billboards and judged by a panel of Destination Homes employees to determine the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place ribbon winners. A prize of $500 for school supplies was also determined for the classroom with the best entries overall.

On Friday, May 9, each billboard entry was displayed and winners were announced in a gallery stroll at the Hill Farms model home in Kaysville.

1^st Place Ribbon Winner: Samantha, Age 10, Mrs. Saunder’s Class

2^nd Place Ribbon Winner: Olivia, Age 10, Mrs. Saunder’s Class

3^rd Place Ribbon Winner: River, Age 10, Mrs. Saunder’s Class

Additional student entries were also awarded with honorable mention ribbons. Many of these will be featured on the 14’ by 48’ digital billboard along with the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners throughout the month of May.

Among those who attended Friday was Saunders, whose class won the overall prize for participation and $500 for school supplies.

“It really was all on them. I presented the material and said, ‘ok go,’” said Saunders. “We talked about how this was what people do everyday for their jobs. We looked at billboards online and tried to think about what would make ideas stand out from the rest.”

According to Saunders, the experience was not only enjoyable for her fourth graders, but also eye-opening.

“It stretched their thinking and they were able to make real world connections through this project,” said Saunders. “A student mentioned that he thinks it would be fun to work in advertising when he grows up.”

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL STUDENT ENTRIES

Best Of State!

Destination Homes is being recognized by the Best of State Utah Awards with the 2014 Best of State for Residential Home Builder Award!

The Best of State Awards are chosen by a board of fourteen local business professionals evaluate the Best of State Awards and determine which nominees are the most outstanding in the their division. There are three basic judging criteria used by the judges, and each has a different weight. The judging is based on 100 points, which are assigned in the three following areas:

• 50 points are possible based on the overall excellence, superiority and quality
  
• 30 points are possible based on the creativity which nominees display to differentiate themselves from their competition.
  
• 20 points are possible based on the nominee's accomplishments to improve the quality of life in their community and state.

It is thrilling to be recognized for such a prestigious award for our 2013 year.  The team at Destination Homes has been amazing as they have come together to help build such outstanding homes.  A huge thank you to our trade partners for their fantastic team work and dedication to helping us build beautiful homes in lasting communities.  

And a special thank you to our homebuyers for the trust that they placed in us to build their dream home.  

We are overwhelmed with appreciation by the team of people who helped make this award happen, Thank you!

Is Your Neighborhood Backward? 5 Signs It Might Be.

Destination Homes has recently been highlighted on KSL.com, take a look!

Destination Homes' mission is to build exceptional homes in lasting communities. Working with world-class architects & skilled trade partners, Destination Homes aims continually to be a product leader in community design & residential architecture. There are a few things in life that are better backward - like The Beatles songs that reveal cryptic messages when played back, or roller coasters that get just a little scarier when they lurch into reverse. And don't forget the excellent benefits you give your quads when you (carefully) do a little backward running. But do you know what's not better backward? Your neighborhood. If you're not sure how topsy-turvy your own community might be, we'll give you a few tell-tale signs.

The cars (and garages) are the stars of the show
Have you ever seen a house that seems to be "all garage?" Not overly appealing, right? Your neighborhood may have been designed poorly (dare we say backwardly?) if your cars seem to be getting better architectural treatment than your family. Giant garages that monopolize your home's curb appeal and commandeer your lawn space with their oversized driveways are not designed with family living in mind. Your home should be taking center stage - not your garage (that prima donna)

It cuts you off from your community

Picket fences are nostalgic and picturesque. But if you've got a monstrosity of a gate that's turning your Craftsman-style home into a medieval fortress, you may be living in a poorly designed community. Privacy is always a bonus, but you should also feel connected with the community that surrounds you. This includes a better view than the wood planks that make up your mile-high fence. Don't get me wrong, a fence serves its purpose but shouldn't keep you from enjoying what's around you. It also means that your home should be facing the world of the living, not a concrete barrier, frontage road or other unsightly "feature."

You feel like you're living in "Mario Kart"
It's one thing for your kids to encounter crazy traffic with Mario and Luigi on the Wii, it's quite another for them to have to deal with this in front of your home. High-volume roads with intersections tend to make your sanctuary a little, well, less than idyllic.
Communities built on heavily trafficked roads are not designed with homeowners and their families in mind. Families want safety at the forefront of their neighborhood planning. Besides safety, many could use fewer barriers to hurdle to when the desire strikes to visit neighbors, get to church, or go to the local park.

Destination Homes 
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Your walkways and trails are "hidden" treasures

Like many people, you're probably thrilled that your community offers walking trails (and your dog likely digs this feature, too). But if your trails are hidden, dimly lit or overgrown, that's a sign that your community likely wasn't designed as well as it could have been. Hidden trails pose not only a safety risk, but they also prevent you from connecting with your community when you take that daily walk (although Fido might enjoy his privacy).

You feel disconnected from the community
There are a lot of benefits to living on an island (mid-morning swim anyone?), but if you're looking to be part of a community, you don't want to feel like your home is centrally located in the Boondocks. Your neighborhood should be designed in a way that connects resident families to their surroundings by strategically designing the homes around parks, community centers and other amenities. After all, the layout of any neighborhood just might be the key to connecting community members naturally.