Defining The Edges of Your Master-Planned Community

When it comes to developing a master-planned community, providing its residents with a beautiful home in a highly amenitized community is typically the top priority of the home builder or real estate developer. While designing stunning homes to showcase within the community is a significant factor, differentiating your master-planned community through landscaping, placemaking and entryway monumentation are just as important! 

First impressions, in many cases, can either make or break a community for prospective homebuyers. Whether incorporating interesting landscaping along the community entrance or creating beauty within the neighborhood through sculptures and gardens, striving to provide an environment for residents to flourish and grow as a community is vital.

Ways to Stand Out

It is essential to assess your surrounding competition continuously. Whether it's a new development or a well-known community, there is always room for improvement – especially when defining your master-planned community's brand and aesthetic. 

Look for ways to stand out from the competition. Make your master-planned community an exciting destination by providing nature trails and walking paths that deliver a sense of connectivity and inclusivity. Builders can also stand out by incorporating desirable lifestyle elements such as outdoor recreation, convenient amenities and landscaping maintenance or connections by providing community gardens, social events and flexible workspaces.

Landscaping is Key

The key to developing an outstanding master-planned community is creating an innovative land plan and an unexpected landscape design. It should be apparent that your community has been thoughtfully designed from the moment a prospective buyer approaches the entrance. Play with topography to create interesting levels and utilize stone or other materials complemented by lush landscaping to stand out from your competition. Try to stray away from traditional landscaping by using plants, shrubs, and trees native to the region that will thrive in your community’s environment but will also delight when arranged differently or in an unexpected landscape design. 

Work with your land planner or landscape architect to select unique plants, and be intentional about creating an interesting, cohesive landscape design throughout the community. Incorporate larger and more intimate gathering places for residents with unique outdoor furniture that acts as art and can be enjoyed by residents both young and young at heart. Highlight certain features and elements with exciting landscaping and intriguing flowers, grasses, shrubs, and vines. Don’t tell residents and prospective buyers about the beauty of your community – show them!

Eye-Catching Entryways

Want to stand out from the competition even more? Sit down with your design team and create a beautiful entrance monument that captures the eye and perfectly represents your master-planned community. Elevate your community by featuring stunning elements, such as stones and metals, within your community sign or entry archway. Builders can also showcase water features, like a fountain or small body of water, and light fixtures that illuminate the community entryway at night. Reinforce the branding behind the community by incorporating the company or community logo, as well as the brand’s color palette.

The entrance monumentation for Solstice (pictured above) was inspired by modern art. The vertical fence posts articulate as you drive up to the community creating a sense of movement and energy. When you arrive at this community there is a sense of anticipation and excitement.

Create Beautiful Views

While some communities are lucky to be surrounded by gorgeous mountains or stunning bodies of water, other communities are located in the hearts of bustling cities and blooming towns. By incorporating green walls, mature trees, community gardens and water features, home builders and master-planned developers boost the desirability of the community and create beautiful views that residents will love! Provide a relaxing water fountain in the center of the community courtyard, a flower garden for residents to grow perennials together or a unique splash pad feature for families to play in on hot summer days.

Break the Mold

In a world where suburban sameness is the natural design direction, break the mold and change the narrative for suburban communities! A community that stands out from the crowd in every way is Shea Homes’ Stepping Stone – using three design concepts to create a visual narrative that encourages engagement and exploration within the community. The three design concepts are:

•    Discovery - Providing opportunities to explore for children and adults.
•    Prairie - Harmoniously blending a natural environment with human enjoyment.
•    Blossom - Utilizing seasonal landscaping displays to unify the community.

Builders can create a desirable community that exudes connection, exploration and creativity by layering these design concepts.

Define the Edges of Your Master-Planned Community

At Milesbrand, we bring your vision From Land to Brand! Our team can help you develop a brand identity to ensure your master-planned community's success. Contact us today for more information about our process and how we can make your master-planned community memorable and stand out among your competition.