Architects:LGA Architectural Partners

Area:910m²

Year:2023

Photographs:Eliot Wright

Manufacturers:Endicott,Inline Fibreglass Windows and Doors,Nexcem,ROCKWOOL

Lead Architect:Dean Goodman

Structural Engineer:Blackwell

M&E:Hidi

Civil:FP&P

Project Manager:Antero Fonte

City:Toronto

Country:Canada

Text description provided by the architects. LGA was hired by New Frontiers Aboriginal Residential Corporation (NFARC) to expand their affordable rental housing site on Coxwell Avenue, in East Toronto. Working around their existing 31-unit building, we replaced an underutilized at-grade parking area at the rear of the site with a three-storey freestanding addition, creating 12 new one-bedroom units to be offered at affordable rates.

Our primary aim was to design an uplifting, durable and high-quality environment that conveys the universal pleasure that is often missing from affordable housing projects, so our addition takes on the familiar form of a pair of brick houses. Maximizing access to natural light was another key consideration that factored heavily into our design process. On the south side, the depth of the large upper-floor balconies and ground-floor patios provides protection from heat gain in the summer, while the light-permeable wood-slatted balconies and trellis-like screens over the bedroom windows allow low-angled winter sunlight to penetrate deep into the units. The north-side units have smaller balconies but slightly larger interior areas—54.4m² versus the 51.8m² area of the south-facing units—with large windows facing onto a landscaped parkette. North-facing balconies are positioned for optimal access to direct late afternoon light in the summer. While the addition is free-standing, an interior walkway connects residents directly with the neighbouring building to access shared amenities and public spaces.

Our addition has been energy modelled to achieve a 28% reduction in energy consumption and a 33% reduction in greenhouse gas/carbon emissions in comparison to National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2015 benchmarks. Key sustainability strategies include a super-insulated airtight envelope and efficient mechanical systems, such as the building's hydronic heating system. To meet the efforts of the Rapid Housing Initiative, this project also incorporates panelized construction to shorten the construction time.

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Project location

Address:Toronto, Canada