Name: Garden Rowhouse

Location: Toronto, Canada

Project Area: 3,600 sqft

Project Year: 2014

Client: N/A

Project Status: Pre-Construction

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project was created to fill a void in Toronto’s housing market for two reasons. First, after designing dozens of Toronto homes, townhomes and rowhouses limited to narrow 12-15-ft wide, 4 story high, bowling alley type plans due to Toronto’s residential lot sizes we seek to offer an alternative housing typology not found in the city. Second, Toronto housing options for the aging demographic are limited to impractical types such as the narrow, traditional Victorian bay-and-gable, where living on four storeys is a workout at any age, or the condo which is geared toward a young demographic typically with a small square footage and lacking amenities, the project seeks to provide a liveable alternative.

The development combines three typical 16-ft-wide Toronto lots, organizing three homes horizontally instead of vertically. Each home boasts an expansive 48-ft-wide open-plan floor plate that is unseen in most Toronto neighbourhoods. Each units interior wraps around a double-height light filled courtyard enclosed with large operable doors allowing for seasonal flexibility and flooding the space with natural light. Each unit is 2 stories with all the living spaces and at minimum 1 bedroom on the main floor resulting in a liveable space at any age.