Intent of the Design
Site Planning Intent
Symbolically relate the development to existing fabric by maintaining the street relationship and lot width of existing low-density development on roads 1 and 2
Avoid driveways entering collector roads but maintain front-door relationship of existing settlement pattern on roads 1 and 2
Maximize the distance between point of entry and the collector road intersection
Provide a hierarchy of pedestrian routes from bus stop to high school, and from road no. 2 to neighbourhood to the east
Provide an open-space network comprised of a variety of formal street-relate. I green spaces and informal pedestrian paths, to the neighbouring parks and along crescent-end lanes
Provide a sense of formal identity, orientation, and sense of place in a major north-south boulevard which can accept moderate traffic (in consideration of the effect of increased densities on roads 1 and 2)
Reinforce in drainage and landscape planning the essence of the prairie parkland ecology, particularly the proximity of tree cover to drainage courses
Provide traditional relationships of house to street and clear definition of private, shared and public realms on conventional lots
Include apartment accommodation in street-related house forms, where lot location is amenable to im-proved parking arrangements, and there is better proximity to open space
Provide traditional house identity and amenity to apartment dwellings as much as possible
Maintain traditional front door on the street symbolism
Limit encroachment of parked cars and garage doors onto the streetscape
The House Form Intent
Enhance the experience of front-door approach through direction changes and planting
Provide a clear formal hierarchy to the dwelling spaces from front-door entry, through parlour to large dining-family room
Allow for adaption of space use by inter-relating smaller living spaces that can be open or closed off ac-cording to use, occasion and time-of-day heating demand
Use of traditional smaller formal living space (parlour) and larger family dining room
Provide traditional identity and symbolism of house on street
Structural System
The structural system proposed : standard wood-frame floor construction, gang-nail trussed roof construction and wall construction. A lighter, deeper, trussed wall system is proposed to provide advantages of energy and economy in fabrication and erection
Apply the economy of light member, factory-produced nailed truss construction, to wall as well as to roof construction
Energy Concepts
The energy concept applies principles of direct solar gain and the tempering effect of mass material. Houses are corner attached. The zone between the houses is unexcavated but insulated before backfill to become part of the thermal zone of the two houses
Acoustic party-wall length is minimized, while the usual reduced heat loss provided by semi-detachment is augmented by the collection of direct gain heat in the sun porch zone. According to future decisions of cost effectiveness, the mass can vary from the glacial till backfill of the site, to rock or gravel and efficiency increased by ducting into the mass
Maximize south-southeast exposure for direct solar gain
Increase thermal storage capacity by insulating across unexcavated party zone
Provide sun porch to collect direct solar gain, circulate into house and trapped ground mass
Trap ground mass between semis: use glacial till site soil as inexpensive mass thermal storage
Penetrate mass with cheap air piping tied into house furnace system and glazed porch, according to initial and later cost effectiveness
Provide south-southwest exposure for active collection as dictated by present or future cost effectiveness
Southwest exposure: initial or future domestic hot water according to cost effectiveness
Diagonal orientation for maximum daily direct gain on large surface area
Concentration of openings according to direct gain potential of elevation
Employ light thick walls to:
1. Enable use of large quantity of thick less-expensive insulation
2. Reduce lumber and insulation costs
3. Provide wind screen effect when used as porch zone
4. Avoid potential double vapour problems inherent in sections which increase stud wall R-value by adding rigid insulation at sheathing surface
5. Allow for easy future addition of insulation, or movement of insulation to new exterior wall of house additions
6. Use reflective bevel of thick walls to increase effective day lighting, while reducing window area
(From competition program)
This submission was admired for its simple site plan and for the simple relationship of dwelling types to it. Admittedly rather traditional, perhaps even "historicist", the scheme attracted commendation for its good sense and consistency. Basically, its grouping of semi-detached houses and small apartment blocks around collective vehicular loops was well regarded, as was the traditional character of the interior planning of its various unit types. The simple room and space sequences seemed to most jurors quite successful.
Reservations were expressed regarding several aspects of the scheme. First of ail, except for orientation, the submission lacked much intensive consideration of energy conservation. The "thick" wall to the north-east was regarded as useful, but not useful enough to justify the extreme thickness shown. Then too, the relentless employment of the 45° diagonal as a planning motif, was regarded as monotonous and overworked.
Finally, the jury regretted that the presentation of the submission was so uneven and underdeveloped. The site plan drawings and perspectives originally submitted were disappointing compared to the unit plans and elevations, which elicited commendation, and even some fascination, on account of their curious, "historicist" style.
(From jury report)
10 scanned / 5 viewable
- Site Plan
- Axonometric Drawing
- Plan & Section
- Plan & Section
- Elevation
