Flexible Housing for Changing Families
For families with moderate income, it may not be possible to buy a first home wich sits detached on its own parcel of land. This is especially the case close to urban centres where land costs are too high to support very small houses. On the other hand, central locations may be well suited to families who cannot afford to rely on the automobile as its primary means of transportation, and can benefit from close proximity to services and amenities.
"Families" are increasingly structured in ways other than the traditional nuclear family (of 2 parents with children) and housing purchasers are less likely to be made by two spouses, but rather extended "families" with related or even unrelated adults. They have the potential of peeling their resources to acquire enough space for their combined needs, possibly sharing facilities, but having their own particular space as well.
What is required for such, a variety of possible "family" structures is a very flexible arrangement of living spaces, play spaces, and sleeping spaces wich can be assembled in various combinations within the same property and building envelope. These could be used initially in one manne rat the time of purchase, but rearrenged over time as the "family" structure changes.
Versatile Housing Units
The proposal assembles 8 semi-detached 3-storey buildings of potentially 2 units each for a total of 16 individual dwellings, each with their own entrance door. Each building, with approximately 500 square feet/floor, has outdoor living/play areas are located at the ground and second floor. Bathrooms and sleeping areas are at the half-basement and third floor. An interior stairway in each building can be left open or partioned off at strategic places to isolate one floor from another. This allows for numerous possibilities such as :
-Extented family occupies all floors.
-Two families have separate 2-storey dwellings ; one on ground floor and half basement, the other on second and third floors.
-One extended family occupies ground to third floors ; half basement is bachelor unit.
-Several unrelated small facilities and individuals share comon bathroom, kitchen facilites and outdoor space, but retain individual sleeping and/or living areas.
-Three single parents with children occupy all floors for living and working in the house.
The whole complex could be built or purchased by a limited-equity co-op, with each "family" unit owning part or all one building and a proportional amount of the property. It could also be divided into parcels of 2 or 3 buildings for smaller groups. This would allow for the maximum versability for growth or change within "family" units.
(From competitor's text)
Each of the two-storey housing units has a conventional organization, but with the integration of interesting elements such as surface parking, shared spaces and the effective use of the terrace as an emergency exit.
With a typical modular system for the housing units (and adopted at the corner) and a rather high density, this project integrates well with its site. It proposes an adequate response to the affordability of the theme.
(From jury comments)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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