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 9.7 feet. A 6 ft screen 6.5 ft out is the smallest thing that closes every line that matters. It leaves the view essentially intact.

Every marked observer and how open their line is.
WhoLineDistanceAbove the seatBearingBarrier halfwayInterrupted by
East upstairs windowWide open36.2 ft18°85°9.7 ftnothing
West shared pathBlocked27.1 ft3°256°4.8 ftExisting side fence

The smallest thing that closes it

A 6 ft screen 6.5 ft out

6 feet high and about 7.9 feet wide, standing 6.5 feet from the seat, across the line from East upstairs window. That is roughly 47 sq ft of material.

Privacy 514View 100100your land

Sized against 1 of 2 marked observers. Nobody of any weight is left with a view in.

You are overlooked from 2 separate directions, so these are 2 problems rather than one. No single screen closes them all without enclosing the space.

Every position tested

Close to the seat means short and wide. Close to them means tall and narrow, and usually not your land.
WhatHeightWidthMaterialPrivacy afterView keptStill sees inWhose land

A 6 ft screen 6.5 ft out

6 feet high and about 7.9 feet wide, standing 6.5 feet 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 ft7.9 ft47 sq ft4100nobodyyour land

A 7.4 ft screen 10.9 ft out

7.4 feet high and about 6.7 feet wide, standing 10.9 feet from the seat, across the line from East upstairs window. That is roughly 50 sq ft of material.

Neither short nor narrow.

7.4 ft6.7 ft50 sq ft4100nobodyyour land

A 9.1 ft screen 16.3 ft out

9.1 feet high and about 5.3 feet wide, standing 16.3 feet from the seat, across the line from East upstairs window. That is roughly 48 sq ft of material.

Neither short nor narrow.

9.1 ft5.3 ft48 sq ft4100nobodyyour land

A 11.4 ft screen 24 ft out

11.4 feet high and about 3.9 feet 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.

11.4 ft3.9 ft45 sq ft4100nobodynot your land

2 screens, one for each direction

The smallest screen tested on each side, taken together: 11.4 ft 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.

11.4 ft7.9 ft65 sq ft4100nobodynot your land

A 4.4 ft screen 8.1 ft out

4.4 feet high and about 7.3 feet wide, standing 8.1 feet from the seat, across the line from West shared path. That is roughly 32 sq ft of material.

Neither short nor narrow.

4.4 ft7.3 ft32 sq ft51100East upstairs windowyour land

A 4.7 ft screen 12.2 ft out

4.7 feet high and about 5.8 feet wide, standing 12.2 feet from the seat, across the line from West shared path. That is roughly 27 sq ft of material.

Neither short nor narrow.

4.7 ft5.8 ft27 sq ft51100East upstairs windowyour land

A 5 ft screen 17.6 ft out

5 feet high and about 3.9 feet wide, standing 17.6 feet 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 ft3.9 ft20 sq ft51100East upstairs windowyour land
You are overlooked from 2 separate directions. Each option below closes the lines it was sized against and no others; the residual column says who is left. There is no single object that closes all of them without enclosing the space.

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