In the heart of Spruce Avenue, with nearby parks, education institutions, shopping centres, and healthcare facilities, the proposed development is ideally positioned to offer a high standard of living for its residents while integrating into the existing fabric of the established community. Catering to students, families, and seniors, The Good weather brings people from various walks of life together. The aim is to address the current mismatch between Edmonton's existing housing stock and its shifting demographics. This proposal intends to serve a growing demand for affordable, accessible, intergenerational living.
The Goodweather synthesizes a variety of existing typologies into anew, exciting configuration that brings together many demographics and generations into one pocket community. In total, there are 56 dwellings: 14townhouses designed for young families, 21 single bedroom loft dwellings for students and young professionals, and 21 ground level dwellings designed for seniors. There are 14 single car garages and 6 guest parking stalls, all accessed from the alley. Since the location is so close to amenities and public transit and exists within the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zone, parking is reduced to take advantage of its well-connected site and to increase density.
At once architecturally modern while being sensitive to the historic guality of the surrounding neighbourhood, the design of the proposed development takes its cues directly from the demographics of the local community. It is comprised of two rows of housing that run north to south along the site, with a shared courtyard between them.
The student/young professional oriented dwellings, are along the east side of the property, facing towards the shared courtyard, and cater to the lifestyles of students and people taking the LRT downtown. Close to the NAIT campus, these dwellings provide a walkable alternative to living in residence for students. Accessed by stairs from the shared courtyard, the dwellings are compact and efficient, yet spacious. The layout is long and linear, with a double height space above the dining and living rooms. The second level loft has a full bathroom, closet, and bedroom that overlooks the living space below.
The family oriented dwellings are situated along 106 Street and are accessed from the shared courtyard. With two to three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and an open kitchen/dining/ living arrangement, the townhouses offer families the room to grow. Like all the other dwellings, the townhouses have views to both the shared courtyard and towards 106 Street. Each town house has its own oversized single car garage that faces the alley.
The ground level senior oriented dwellings are all accessible and barrier free. These dwellings are small, efficiently designed spaces that offer room for one to two people to live. The front door is cm 106 Street, with patio doors that face on to the courtyard. The design incorporates high contrast interior finishes, grab bars, and universally accessible bathrooms. A continuous millwork wall runs the length of the dwelling and serve s the adjacent rooms from the entry through to the be droom.
Unlike typical condominiums, all of the dwellings have a front door accessed from the outside, and does away with unnecessary corridors and lobbies. All of the dwellings have entries to the shared courtyard, providing access to shared amenities and strengthening the sense of community.
The courtyard opens up to the south allowing for maximum sunlight penetration in to the courtyard and both facades of all of the dwellings. The southeast corner of the courtyard is punctuate d by a community space that includes a small community hall and daycare. The courtyard will serve the entire community as a large backyard, with plenty of spaces for sitting, gathering, and for kids to play. It will also have a community garden that all the residents can benefit from.
Façade: Detailed perforate d metal railings animate the balconies, giving depth and character to the facades. Depicting local flora such as mountain ash and Alberta rose, the railings aim to fit within the eclectic fabric of the community. These perforated railings flow throughout the project, found inside and outside of all of the dwellings, creating a unigue characteristic trait that helps define The Goodweather. The facades of the buildings are clad in standing seam metal and knotty cedar. The cedar is strategically placed on surfaces that will receive minimal direct sunlight and rain, and will add a natural warmth to the building.
Form and Massing: The de sign incorporates simple forms that shift and overlap each other creating an uncomplicated, yet dynamic façade. Gabled rooflines are used to help relate to the context of the surrounding historic neighbourhood.
(Competitor's text)
This scheme provides a contextually responsive design which may be translated into a tangible community asset due to its high degree of construction viability and replicable design elements.
Submission highlights
- Contextually sensitive and respectful of neighbours and the larger Spruce Avenue community
- "Polite" scheme with good "urban manners"
- Responds to neighbourhood demographics, incorporating opportunities for intergenerational living
- Provides well-conceived semi-private spaces and amenities, such as courtyards
- Activates the street by situating residences close to the sidewalk
Additional insights
- Use of stairs may be limited to allow for a more accessible space
- Further refinement of the design elements such as landscape and materials may be explored
(From jury report)
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