I see why you're feeling overlooked--the hard line made by the fence makes the buildings behind seem to crowd into your visual space and almost loom over. In practice, as other people have pointed out, the problem of actually being stared at in your garden is probably less severe. The suggestion of using small-leaved small trees to break up that fence/building line should work really well. The trick is to locate any spots where there is a concentration of windows--putting a tree in that spot will do wonders, and for the rest you may not need to go as tall. There are some brilliant upright flowering cherries: check out Prunus 'Spire' and 'Pandora'. There's also an upright crab apple, Malus 'Red Obelisk'. Other good small trees are Sorbus varieties and Amelanchier. I'd suggest no more than one tree for a garden this small.
Your idea of pleached trees all around would certainly conceal the buildings, but it might exacerbate the boxed-in impression, whereas breaking up the lines with something that moves and changes through the year will distract you from them altogether. Think about putting a mixture of restrained shrubs/climbers up the fences, too, which will help it feel more like a garden. Some I would think of in your situation, and to go with the tree, would be Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart', Trachelospermum, Osmanthus x burkwoodii or heterophyllus (clipped), Viburnum plicatum trained to the fence, Jasminum humile 'Revolutum' and Euonymus fortunei. You can even grow things like apples, pears and quinces espaliered on your fence, to say nothing of Japanese quince (Chaenomeles). The world's your oyster!
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Your idea of pleached trees all around would certainly conceal the buildings, but it might exacerbate the boxed-in impression, whereas breaking up the lines with something that moves and changes through the year will distract you from them altogether. Think about putting a mixture of restrained shrubs/climbers up the fences, too, which will help it feel more like a garden. Some I would think of in your situation, and to go with the tree, would be Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart', Trachelospermum, Osmanthus x burkwoodii or heterophyllus (clipped), Viburnum plicatum trained to the fence, Jasminum humile 'Revolutum' and Euonymus fortunei. You can even grow things like apples, pears and quinces espaliered on your fence, to say nothing of Japanese quince (Chaenomeles). The world's your oyster!