[quote author="reason" date=1208955282]Very perceptive. Yes, in Woodbury, the detached townhomes are smaller and the ceilings are lower. While the attached townhomes are just the opposite.</blockquote>
Good observation Reason. The smaller scale proportion is what gives the detached condos their charm just like the structures on both sides of Main Street in Disneyland. The structures are taller and wider at the Train Station with tall towers and the buildings get progressively narrower and shorter toward the Castle. Doors, windows, and porches are also reduced in scale as well.
This forced perspective gives a illusion that Main Street is much longer and grander toward the Castle. By the end of a long exhausting day from standing in line and walking as people leave the theme park the Main Street appears to be shorter looking back toward the Train station.
The classical proportion of the detached condos is taller at the ground floor and slightly shorter at the upper floor in avoiding the top heavy McMansion proportion that we all hate so much. All classical structures have a much taller ground floor and reduced proportion for the subsequent levels above.
I see human body and building the same way. We all can tell immediately when a human body has unusual proportion and building should be viewed the same way. Long legs or taller ground floor has better aesthetic appeal! Long waist and short legs are the townhomes that Reason described.
Women can wear heels to improve the longer leg proportion but the townhouse could not be jacked up today. This is the reason many older structures were built with raised foundations and several steps walking up to the front door because it is a much better proportion and also solved flooding and snow problems.