Toronto Affordable Housing Challenge

Cooperative Corners is a proposal for collective self-funded housing inserted into existing corner lots of Toronto’s neighborhoods, aiming to offer affordable and livable domestic spaces free from speculation or developer profits. According to the jury, ”This project cleverly identifies a unique opportunity to capitalize on an underutilized feature of the Toronto residential landscape – the corner lot – and proposes a new typology that creates gentle density, design flexibility, and the possibility of implementation in various types of residential settings. The project demonstrates several interior advantages, including natural light, multiple entry points (due to ample frontage), and the opportunity to integrate local commerce that can strategically address associated issues of equity and affordability. The proposal also has the potential to create a distinctive sense of place for each neighborhood where corner developments can serve as focal points through unique design strategies. A key challenge with this project will likely be garnering the support of local government authorities and the implementation of a suitable expropriation strategy.” The project puts power back into the hands of the community, while creating interesting and appropriately-scaled building interventions that seem to integrate well into the fabric of the neighborhoods.

Laneway Housing proposes a system of components to address the needs of a multigenerational community. It grafts new building blocks into the existing underutilized laneways of Toronto’s neighborhoods, thoughtfully capitalizing on in-between spaces within the urban landscape. The jury writes, “Although laneway housing is currently a popular area of exploration, this project proposes both a bold design and an implementable planning solution. This project does not depend on the adjacent homeowner as the developer and successfully explores the possibilities of laneway housing as a viable affordable housing option that is easily reproducible; offers a broad unit mix; proposes a simple and affordable structural and mechanical system; and offers a densifying and elegant design, while respecting the scale of existing residential settings. Key challenges with this project would be the careful control of natural light entering the units and common spaces; consideration and development of the public realm and ground plane; and refining the heights and design of the developments to respect and respond to the neighborhoods if broadly implemented across the city.” The jury also commented that the inclusion of parking, while interesting, may ultimately yield a difficult proposition from an affordability point of view.  

LaneWAY of Living proposes a form of incremental housing for a greener, denser Toronto. It studies possible efficiencies that come about by treating the laneway house as part of a multi-unit cluster, innovatively considering the laneway as a partly -covered open public space. The design suggests a mix of modular homes with sloped accessible roofs to make use of PV panels and support gardens. The jury states, “This proposal imagines a healthy densification by giving our city blocks another face. The possibility of vertical and lateral expansion for family needs is a compelling argument to rethink housing as a fluid asset. Further development of the design could examine community needs, such as integrated green space and safety.”