Residential (Small) Award
BSN Architects
Jury Comment: The municipality, the University of Toronto and the design team are all to be commended for attempting this kind of gentle densification in a heritage district. The success of the project enables faculty, staff and other potential residents to benefit from the transportation, commercial and cultural infrastructure already in place in this neighbourhood. The resulting livable lane environment and the remarkable achievement of Passive House performance in such a tight urban context, takes Toronto’s laneway housing to the next level.
These prototypes are the vanguard of 40 laneway and infill homes proposed for the Huron Sussex Neighbourhood, a historic precinct adjacent to the University of Toronto’s downtown campus. The project advances urban intensification in a location well served by public transit and existing municipal infrastructure, while revitalizing and helping to sustain its immediate heritage context.
Mandated to deliver affordable, sustainable housing for family living and co-habitation, the project utilizes a prefabrication approach to reduce community impacts during construction and enhance performance outcomes.
The three prototypes include: 3 bedroom + 2 study (2,100 gross sq.ft.), 2 bedroom + study, (1,100 gross sq.ft.), and 1 bedroom + study, (900 gross sq.ft.). Sympathetic to scale, massing, and neighbourhood context, the prototypes provide ‘accessibility through proximity’ and are clustered to create a shared outdoor courtyard and to initiate a ‘Living Laneway’ concept with homes accessed from the lane.
Designed using Passive House (PH) principles and all-wood construction, the project optimizes prefabrication and on-site assembly methods and utilizes PH-certified wall panels (R-45) with factory- installed windows (R-7), structural insulated panels (R-54) for the roof, and a shallow super-insulated GEO-Passive slab foundation system (R-24) that minimizes site operations.
Detail of Passive House certified window and thermally-treated ash cladding. Supplied by CFP Woods, the ash cladding exhibits numerous grain patterns while displaying the natural beauty of its rich brown colour tones. Left to weather naturally, it will turn a beautiful patina grey.
Guelph Solar installed LG 365 Watt solar panels for the U of T Laneway Houses.
Legalett provided three engineered GEO-Passive Slabs with ThermaSill PH thresholds, as well as sub grade preparation supervision for this challenging high density urban fill site with zero clearance lot lines.
PROJECT PERFORMANCE
- Energy intensity (building and process energy) = 47.3KWhr/m2/year
- Energy intensity reduction relative to reference building under ASHRAE 90.1 = 54%
- Water consumption from municipal sources = 44,880 litres/occupant/year
- Reduction in water consumption relative to reference building under LEED = 51%
- Regional materials (800km radius) by value = 15.25%
- Construction waste diverted from landfill = 85%
PROJECT CREDITS
- Architect BSN Architects
- Owner/Developer University of Toronto
- General Contractor Index Construction
- Civil Engineer MTE Consultants
- Electrical Engineer Runge Engineering
- Structural and Mechanical Engineer Local Impact Design
- Photos Tom Arban Photography
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