The courtyard with two different privacy problems
Who can see me, and what would stop them?
Privacy is a geometry problem with a view cost. The useful answer is the smallest thing that interrupts the specific line that bothers you.
The line
East upstairs window has a clear line from 36 feet away, 18 degrees above the seat. Halfway along that line a barrier would have to reach about 9 feet 8 inches. A 6 ft screen 6 ft 6 in out is the smallest thing that closes every line that matters. It leaves the view essentially intact.
| Who | Line | Distance | Above the seat | Bearing | Barrier halfway | Interrupted by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East upstairs window | Wide open | 36 ft | 18° | 85° | 9 ft 8 in | nothing |
| West shared path | Blocked | 27 ft | 3° | 256° | 4 ft 9 in | Existing side fence |
From east upstairs window, from the side
The line, from the side
Eye to eye, at true scale. A screen near the seat can be short because the line is still low there; near the window it has to be tall.
The section, in a table
From reading chair, nothing on the plan cuts the line to east upstairs window: it rises from 3 ft 7 in to 15 ft 1 in over 36 ft.
| What | From reading chair | Height | The line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading chair (eye) | 0 in | 3 ft 7 in | Starts here |
| Screen A | 9 ft 1 in | 6 ft 9 in | Just closes it |
| Screen B | 18 ft 1 in | 9 ft 7 in | Just closes it |
| Screen C | 27 ft | 12 ft 6 in | Just closes it |
| East upstairs window (eye) | 36 ft | 15 ft 1 in | Ends here |
From west shared path, from the side
The line, from the side
Eye to eye, at true scale. A screen near the seat can be short because the line is still low there; near the window it has to be tall.
The section, in a table
From reading chair, the line to west shared path is cut by existing side fence.
| What | From reading chair | Height | The line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading chair (eye) | 0 in | 3 ft 7 in | Starts here |
| Existing side fence | 20 ft | 5 ft 11 in | Cuts it |
| Screen A | 6 ft 9 in | 4 ft 3 in | Just closes it |
| Screen B | 13 ft 6 in | 4 ft 8 in | Just closes it |
| Screen C | 20 ft | 5 ft 1 in | Just closes it |
| West shared path (eye) | 27 ft | 5 ft 3 in | Ends here |
The smallest thing that closes it
A 6 ft screen 6 ft 6 in out
6 feet high and about 7 feet 11 inches wide, standing 6 feet 6 inches from the seat, across the line from East upstairs window. That is roughly 47 sq ft of material.
Sized against 1 of 2 marked observers. Nobody of any weight is left with a view in.
Line open: how much of each line of sight into the seat nothing blocks, weighted by how much you said each observer matters; 0% is unseen. Marked view open: how much of the view you marked is still clear from the seat. Both are read off the plan, so they are as good as the heights on it.
Test it before anybody builds it
- The test
- Hang a sheet or hold up a board about 6 ft high and 7 ft 11 in wide where the plan puts the screen, for two evenings at the hour that bothers you.
- If it worked
- Sitting at reading chair, you cannot see east upstairs window over it or round its ends.
- If it didn’t
- If you can still see east upstairs window over the top, it sits higher than the plan says; if you see it round an end, the zone is wider than drawn. Either way, nothing should be built to these numbers yet.
- Next evidence
- Photograph the view from reading chair with the sheet up, from the same spot both evenings, and measure how high east upstairs window actually is.
Buy nothing yetA sheet held where this would stand, for two evenings, before a single panel is bought.
Every position tested
Close to the seat means short and wide. Close to them means tall and narrow, and usually not your land.| What | Height | Width | Material | Line still open | Marked view open | Still sees in | Whose land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A 6 ft screen 6 ft 6 in out 6 feet high and about 7 feet 11 inches wide, standing 6 feet 6 inches from the seat, across the line from East upstairs window. That is roughly 47 sq ft of material. Being close to the seat means it has to be wide to cover the angle, and it sits right where you are. | 6 ft | 7 ft 11 in | 47 sq ft | 4% | 100% | nobody | your land |
A 7 ft 5 in screen 10 ft 10 in out 7 feet 5 inches high and about 6 feet 9 inches wide, standing 10 feet 10 inches from the seat, across the line from East upstairs window. That is roughly 50 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 7 ft 5 in | 6 ft 9 in | 50 sq ft | 4% | 100% | nobody | your land |
A 9 ft 1 in screen 16 ft 4 in out 9 feet 1 inch high and about 5 feet 3 inches wide, standing 16 feet 4 inches from the seat, across the line from East upstairs window. That is roughly 48 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 9 ft 1 in | 5 ft 3 in | 48 sq ft | 4% | 100% | nobody | your land |
An 11 ft 5 in screen 24 ft out 11 feet 5 inches high and about 3 feet 11 inches wide, standing 24 feet from the seat, across the line from East upstairs window. That is roughly 45 sq ft of material. Being near the far end means real height, and it is the position most likely to be on somebody else's land. | 11 ft 5 in | 3 ft 11 in | 45 sq ft | 4% | 100% | nobody | not your land |
2 screens, one for each direction The smallest screen modelled on each side, taken together: 11 ft 5 in across the line from East upstairs window, 5 ft across the line from West shared path. Roughly 65 sq ft of material in total. This is 2 separate builds, not one, and together they start to enclose the space. | 11 ft 5 in | 7 ft 10 in | 65 sq ft | 4% | 100% | nobody | not your land |
A 4 ft 5 in screen 8 ft 1 in out 4 feet 5 inches high and about 7 feet 4 inches wide, standing 8 feet 1 inch from the seat, across the line from West shared path. That is roughly 32 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 4 ft 5 in | 7 ft 4 in | 32 sq ft | 51% | 100% | East upstairs window | your land |
A 4 ft 8 in screen 12 ft 2 in out 4 feet 8 inches high and about 5 feet 9 inches wide, standing 12 feet 2 inches from the seat, across the line from West shared path. That is roughly 27 sq ft of material. Neither short nor narrow. | 4 ft 8 in | 5 ft 9 in | 27 sq ft | 51% | 100% | East upstairs window | your land |
A 5 ft screen 17 ft 7 in out 5 feet high and about 3 feet 11 inches wide, standing 17 feet 7 inches from the seat, across the line from West shared path. That is roughly 20 sq ft of material. Being near the far end means real height, and it is the position most likely to be on somebody else's land. | 5 ft | 3 ft 11 in | 20 sq ft | 51% | 100% | East upstairs window | your land |
Line open: how much of each line of sight into the seat nothing blocks, weighted by how much you said each observer matters; 0% is unseen. Marked view open: how much of the view you marked is still clear from the seat. Both are read off the plan, so they are as good as the heights on it.
Other questions about this place