The Buffer Landscape
This pattern is shaped by
Problem
When residential spaces directly abut noise sources — arterial roads, rail lines, commercial districts — no amount of interior acoustic design can compensate for the assault on the outdoor living space. The garden is rendered useless, windows can't be opened, and the dwelling exists in a permanent state of acoustic siege.
Evidence and Discussion
Earth berms, dense evergreen plantings, masonry walls, and water features can reduce perceived noise levels by 5–15 dB at the property line — enough to make the difference between a garden you avoid and one you enjoy. The most effective buffers combine mass (earth or masonry) with absorption (dense planting) and masking (water).
Therefore
between every residential lot and every significant noise source, provide a landscape buffer — an earth berm (minimum 1.5 meters high), dense evergreen planting (minimum 3 meters deep), a masonry wall, or a combination. Add a water feature on the quiet side to mask residual noise. The buffer should be beautiful — an earth berm becomes a garden; a masonry wall becomes a trellis for climbing plants. Silence is the luxury; the buffer is the architecture that provides it.