Situated a mile from the Chesapeake Bay in the Hampton Roads area, near the NASA Research Center and Langley Air Force Base, the Garden Atriums of Poquoson is the ideal self-sustaining residential community. In 4,900 square feet of space, each home incorporates a wide variety of technological and aesthetic innovations in a lush, green environment and an atmosphere of complete safety and tranquility.
All residents share a park area that includes an organic garden space, a recreational grass area, a fruit orchard, a gazebo and an aquaculture pond. The Garden Atriums of Poquoson makes use of the most advanced architectural design technology to maximize the amount of available sunlight in a unique, garden-like setting. A large skylight at the center of every house covers a complete garden atrium in which virtually anything can be grown. The site has a single point of entry, for greater security. Every garden atrium also has a private outdoor patio for each bedroom, and one for the family.
2008 Update
The Garden Atrium site has evolved even better than envisioned. The vegetable gardens with potting shed were built in full sun in the southwest corner of the site – to the right of the lower right house, shown.
Instead of vegetable gardens, that area is now a fantastic 250’x250’ private park covered by mature trees.
In the upper right – southeast edge – is a boat dock for small craft. It’s only half a mile to the rivers and marinas, and a mile to the Bay.
The pond turned out to be “T” shaped, with gazebo, as shown, and with fruit trees along its edges.
The clustering concept – cars along the outside perimeter and pedestrian spaces in the interior of the site – works beautifully. Part of “sustainability” is productive use of the land; clustering does that beautifully.
All the homes fronting the pond have covered, screened verandas, which can be used most of the year in Poquoson, and which residents use a lot.
