Welcome to Oakbrooke... A new "community" located in the heart of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Oakbrooke will have character, which is lacking in other single-family residential neighborhoods. Residents and visitors are greeted by the Oakbrooke "Wishing Well" and its symbolic promise of hope. The wishing well is reflective of Paradigm's efforts to offer the community goals of Oakbrooke to the public. This element, along with its associated signage and landscaping, will help establish the individual character of Oakbrooke, faciliate the creation of community pride among neighbors, and will assist to create a sense of "place"upon arrival.
Paradigm's Mission...The Oakbrooke Community Project is Paradigm's initial attempt to demonstrate that a sustainable development can incorporate architecturally designed homes that are energy efficient, environmentally low-impact yet are "affordable" investments the owners can be proud of for years to come.
From the Designer... Unlike contemporary cookie-cutter subdivisions, Oakbrooke is a step toward a complete community. Design principles have been implemented to create a distinct identity and to foster the development of community interaction. As you are most likely aware, this approach is different from the typical subdivision design approach employed by Design Professionals for the last 50 or so years.
The idea behind Oakbrooke is to create a neighborhood with an "old-fashioned" character. Oakbrooke will have homes available to a wider range of families from varied social/economic backgrounds. Large family homes will not over-power beginner, or more "affordable" homes. Interaction between diverse groups of residents is expected and encouraged.
The streets of Oakbrooke, along with the individual homes that front those streets, are designed to reflect a time in our country's history that a large percentage of the population considers "the good ol' days". There are no "dead end" streets, but friendly access given to all areas. Connectivity is supplied to all surrounding developments, both existing and future. Intersections are designed to be as convenient to pedestrians as they are to automobiles. Sidewalks are located on both sides of the street to allow safe passage for pedestrians and interaction among friends.
The homes of Oakbrooke are located forward on the lot to create an exterior neighborhood "room" in the street. The structure will incorporate usable front porches pulled close to sidewalks, to encourage interaction among neighbors and create a buffer between the private residence and the public space of the street. Smaller side setbacks help create the exterior public space by decreasing the amount of negative space in the unused side yards. Garages are located to the rear of the lots to move the blank garage door "face" away from the home. Private space is created in the back yards using the garages as screening devices. Automobiles are moved from the front of the lot to the rear, and paving is minimal by the insertion of green space within the drive and permeable parking pads. The homes of Oakbrooke say, "People live here, not cars".
The first four homes are going up now! Call Nicky Dou to find out how you can make one of these yours... Oakbrooke will be the place to live in Fayetteville! 479.236.3457. You can also email Nicky requesting some of the floor layouts of the homes in Oakbrooke - nicky@nickydou.com email or call me today! For more information about projects or homes in Northwest Arkansas - visit my website at www.NickyDou.com
Warmest Regards,
Nicky Dou
Nicky I love the idea of these "new urbanism" homes and how they promote walkability and interaction among neighbors. Hopefully neighborhoods like this one and Lakewood Garden Homes and Woodbury off Zion and Rupple Row off Wedington (which are all very similar concepts) are leading the way to a new trend where design really matters.
I know that Lakewood has been selling like crazy - good friends with Karon Reese. I am really excited about this project; I think it will do really well. I will keep you posted when things are a little more ready - we are planning a BBQ or something fun to kick it off. Have a great weekend!
Nicky,
Thank you for sharingf the Craftsman Style architecture... they are cozy, intimate homes. I have done two illustrations one a house
in Astoria, oregon and another in edison, New Jersey
Thank yoyu for sharing new homes with "old fgashion" character. I have been preseving memories of old Houses by doing pen-and-ink and watercolor House Portraits.