S.A.M. (Spruce Avenue Mews)
In developing SAM, this team started by reviewing existing neighbourhood typologies. Wanting a heterogeneous feel to the project, they began by amplifying what was historically on and around the site. By compressing and stacking the previous single-family homes, converting garages into laneway apartments and by creating a form that transitions from the existing and proposed adjacent large-scale development to the scale of the existing neighborhood, a new hybrid started to emerge.
Along the main street frontages, one and twobedroom apartment units connect SAM to the street, providing oversight for the neighbourhood and ground floor amenity space for their occupants. Above these, townhouses, accessible via a central courtyard, maintain a modest three storey overall height. Along the laneway, single storey units with the potential of being interconnected are stacked, creating live-work units along the alley in the form of laneway cottages. The low profile of these units permits plenty of access to sunlight and privacy for the single-family homes across the alley to the east. This type of vertical and horizontal transition is similar at SAM's corners.
Between the street facing and laneway units, there is a raised courtyard which reduces the scale of the inward facing housing typologies and minimizes the impact of on-site parking by enclosing it. This semi-private space is fully accessible via a low angle ramp along the north edge of the site and by elevator and stair at the southwest corner. The choice to ramp down to the north creates a more sympathetic edge for the existing property to the north allowing for natural vegetation and large tree stands to be the major visual focus for both sets of neighbours, new and old.
The townhouses and stacked laneway cottage homes rely on access through the courtyard to their entries. This ensures that the courtyard will be an active, accessible and communal space promoting contact between neighbours whether casually passing through the space or making use of the various gathering and programming spaces. The live-work units along the lane activate the property's edge while respecting existing neighborhood use and vernacular with dedicated visitor parking adjacent to each of them.
SAM's residents and visitors will enjoy easy access to the Kingsway transit hub. The location is within easy walking and biking distance from numerous retail locations and from several employment and educational hubs. The project will provide secure bike parking and storage at no cost, a limited number of free visitor stalls and a limited number of private stalls for rent within ratios of 1 stall per unit and less than 0.5 stalls per bedroom.
All units will be either fully accessible or main floor visitable utilizing measures such as level thresholds from the street or the courtyard. The main floor of every unit will be fully accessible including an accessible washroom.
To maximize stewardship and community oversight, the project maintains a 3-meter setback at all edges accommodating parallel parking along the lane, semi-private patios along the street and avenue, and a respectful side yard. SAM's FAR is 1.3 within a building form that has purposely been maintained under 10 meters. Within this envelope, SAM will provide 25 units with a total of 52 full-size bedrooms.
The variety and orientation of unit sizes and locations are meant to encourage and nurture intergenerational living within the project and within individual units which range from one to three bedrooms with potential for four. Washroom, as well as kitchen configurations, have been detailed to reflect the needs of family units, young professionals and shared student accommodation.
While SAM is proposed as a rental project as an attempt to maximize its affordability and flexibility for residents, there has also been an awareness to create a typology that could readily adapt to other locations within the city and to sites with varying dimensions. As such the proforma was stress-tested to ensure the model is as robust financially as it is physically whether the project is retained, sold as a rental property or sold as market strata-units.
To facilitate wayfinding, individual unit addressing is proposed for each unit in the project either from the street, the avenue, the lane or the courtyard. This desire for identifiable addressing is reflected in the choice of Mews in the project name and the use of Spruce trees reinforces the neighbourhood connection.
Architecturally, each individual unit typology has been treated distinctly but with complementary materials to unify the project. The use of vertical panelization and articulation in the facade and roof structures further unifies the overall language while lightening the visual impact of the project. The use of brick at the main floor helps to ground SAM creating a counterpoint to the details above.
Townhouse unit balconies deliver both private amenity space and weather protection for the unit entries below. The project massing, architecture and building entry details are all seamlessly orchestrated to enhance visual and physical interaction for all seasons. In addition to meeting the current version of all applicable codes, with some interpretation, circulation and sight lines and lighting will all meet or exceed CPTED requirements.
Year-round and Winter City Design has been applied to SAM's built-form, courtyard communal areas, landscape (e.g. form, texture, colour, continuity, accent and rhythm, hardiness and seasonal variety) and site furnishing, features and materials to establish a safe, secure, accessible and comfortable environment for SAM's residents, visitors and neighbours.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
This submission presents a rational plan with thoughtful consideration of outdoor amenity spaces which provide interactivity between the public and private realm.
Submission highlights
- Creates a positive interaction with the street at every edge
- Clever use of above grade parking with courtyard
- Inclusion of usable community spaces such as an outdoor kitchen and living room
Additional insights
- Scale of the west facade may be reconsidered to better respond to neighbouring context
- Materials and colour may be reconsidered to further enhance longevity
(From jury report)
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