Towerhouse
Urbanarium Decoding Density Design Competition
First Place, Planners Prize Award
While Missing Middle Housing encompasses a range of housing options, there is still a missing link between small 4-storey single apartment buildings and larger urban mid-rise developments. This proposal takes inspiration from three distinctly Vancouverite characteristics: access to nature, high-rise density, and communal living to propose a new housing typology that seeks a balance between density of units, diversity of uses, and delightful environments for its residents and surrounding community.
1
The single-family lot development has proven unsustainable and perpetuates unequal access to housing and high quality urban spaces.
2
Conventional infill development often create monotonous streetwalls, repetitive unit layouts, and lack of opportunities for public space improvements.
3
Towerhouses consider housing and communal outdoor space as equal counterparts in a contemporary green city.
At the scale of the city block, the interlacing gardens between the Towerhouses encourage neighbors to meander through this shared landscape and shortcut their way to local destinations: the Skytrain station, a bus stop, or the local supermarket. The gardens and courtyards give people of all ages and abilities places to gather, rest, and discover.
At the scale of the lot, traditional front-rear-side yards of suburban developments are reimagined in favor of compact building footprints sited within a network of shared outdoor spaces. The alternating pattern of open space and built volume allow both the landscape and homes to receive ample light and air.
Activating the open spaces is a series of Community, Commercial, and Amenity Spaces. These are designed to be compact in favor of smaller scale local organizations and businesses.
Towerhouse gardens connect to existing and future greenways, expanding the city’s network of walking and biking paths to encourage active and sustainable modes of transportation
