Unusually spacious lots make it possible to place a separate double garage discreetly at the rear, where it will not dominate the appearance of the house as seen from the street.

At 42 to 46 feet wide, the Porte Cochere lots have ample room for both a spacious home plus a side driveway leading back to the garage.

The homes take their name from the sheltering roof over the driveway, where passengers can disembark in bad weather before the car is put away.

Ordinarily these homes would have been designed with attached front-drive garages, but Robb Honsberger, Vice President, Calgary Land South, Carma Developers Ltd. was looking for something a little different.

On a business trip to Florida, he found what he wanted: the sheltering porte cochere and the inconspicuous garage.

The traditional porte cochere design has practical uses, he says, but also “It’s an architectural feature. It adds mass to the house. And backing onto the park, it’s a very nice setting.”

The lots are 125 feet deep, providing “huge back yards,” says Lee Yousef, Cardel area manager for McKenzie Towne. They should be particularly attractive to families with small children, and the south-facing orientation will appeal to avid gardeners.

Cardel’s three-bedroom Regal floorplan, with a modern day take on Greek Revival exterior styling, was selected to be the Porte Cochere showhome and the initial response has been overwhelming, says Yousef. Within the first week of opening, the first new Porte Cochere home was sold and another lot had a deposit on it. “It’s very early, obviously, but I think people are liking what they see,” says Honsberger.

The main floor of the Porte Cochere showhome has remarkable visual appeal owing to the lavish use of graceful arches, handsome natural maple floors and a design that gently encourages back-of-the-house living.

Beyond the foyer is the open maple kitchen with island, and spacious cantilevered dining nook.

A “flex space” facing the kitchen could be either a more formal dining area or a strategically-placed, close-to-the-front-door location for a home office.

At the rear of the main floor is the family room with an elegantly detailed fireplace as the cozy focal point. On the other side of the staircase to the upper floor is the back entrance/mud room with optional built-ins where the kids can easily stow backpacks and sit to put on shoes.

Upstairs, at the top of the stairs, an open “bonus room” has been comfortably furnished as a casual lounge area. The main full bath, nearby, is beautifully appointed.

Farther along the hall, two attractive bedrooms face each other, but the star of this level is the master suite with a French door opening onto the upper balcony that spans the full width of the home. There’s also a jewel of a master bath with deep, oval soaker tub, shower and walk-in closet.

The base price for the 1,804 sq. ft. Regal floorplan is $284,000; and the showhome is priced at $328,900 including lot, GST and garage.

The Regal showhome at Porte Cochere is open noon to 5 p.m. on weekends. Off Deerfoot Trail south, exit into McKenzie Towne, turn right at the first right on the traffic circle and follow the signs to Elgin Village, watching for the large Porte Cochere sign.