Heather Evanson Brooks’ Post

Due to revived attention sparked by an article on ArchDaily, we delve into the design of Object One Designed according to Open Building principles, Object One is a multi-residential building with a structural system that accommodates and encourages changes throughout its lifespan. With a stack of free lots connected via a so-called Smartframe, Object One’s future residents can choose from three unit types and customise their homes to their hearts’ desire. “We strongly believe that every city should have an Object One. They won’t look the same thanks to the distinct processes and people behind it, and therein lies its strength.” — Sascha Glasl, co-founder Space&Matter Object One was inspired by the desire to create a highly functional building for residents that desire and cherish flexibility and diversity in their living environment. They are free to design and realise their own home within the smart frame. A plot passport ensures that the building feels unified despite architectural differences. The end result? A dynamic building in which culture, community and entrepreneurship freely flourish. Read more: bit.ly/48TdHZ1 & Hegeman Bouwgroep I PHI Vastgoed B.V. I Lucassen bouwconstructies #architecture #flexiblearchitecture #openbuilding

BC takes the lead again on policy for small housing by standardizing small home designs… Standardization of ADU designs is a cornerstone that all participating parties require to move this housing solution forward…#smallhousing #housing #microliving #ADU #BC #offsite #CMHC #jobs #economicstimulus #innovation #energyefficiency #scale

Check out the Province of BC's new Standardized Designs guide for gentle density housing! Some folx have expressed concerns about a catalogue approach to housing and that neighbourhoods will be flooded with 'cookie cutter' homes that 'all look the same'. The guide offers a 'choose your own adventure' style of housing. Want a garage? Go there. Don't want a garage? Go here. How many bedrooms? How many bathrooms? How many units? So many options. Even if all the citizen- and small-scale developers who are interested in gentle density were to choose the same style, layout, number of units, parking, etc., my guess is that these homes aren't likely to be built next to each other on the same block all at the same time (I think). The beauty of infill housing is that it's incremental. On the other hand, I've seen entire blocks of homes replaced with dozens of townhomes that look pretty much the same, and have also visited subdivisions where the homes have been chosen from a set menu of designs provided by the developer. I'm excited to see where this goes. Incrementally.

Highbridge, a new residential tower in the Bronx set to begin construction in 2024 and open in 2027, is an all-electric, passive house design by Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC. When complete, the project will far exceed market norms for quality and amenities while drastically reducing emissions compared to baseline code compliance—all while providing affordable homes for hundreds of the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Highbridge is among the standout projects recognized by NYSERDA's #BuildingsofExcellence Competition, which seeks to jump-start a major shift toward climate-friendly construction in the state by supporting the development of architecturally significant, low-carbon multifamily residential buildings. Keep reading about the project in the article by The Architectural League of New York: https://bit.ly/3GUc40G

Exploring housing options in Rochester Hills, MI! In this series, we'll compare existing and new construction homes. Discover a third option - purchasing land and opting for a system-built home that offers a unique blend of customization and cost-effectiveness. A system-built home tailored to your taste, with a price tag that competes with existing homes and beats new construction. MCM’s team of designers, engineers, architects, and construction personnel specialize in pre-fabricated homes. We’d be honored to design and build your home! Click the link in our bio to learn more. Stay tuned for the next video in this series as we uncover more housing options in Michigan! #rochesterhillsmi #systembuilthomes #newconstruction #michiganrealty #michiganhomes #luxuryliving #mihomes #prefabhomes #modularhomes

Was interviewed last week by Cloe L. for a Canada's National Observer piece on the climate mitigating benefits of point access blocks/single stair buildings. 'Most of the world builds multi-family housing with what are called “point access blocks,” explains Michael Eliason, founder of Seattle-based #architecture think tank Larch Lab. Instead of building #apartments around two staircases (which is the norm in .Canada and the United States), compact buildings are constructed with just one staircase. He points to walk-up buildings, rife with character and community, in places like Berlin, Mexico City and Tokyo. “The way we build housing in the U.S. and in Canada as well, where we typically have at least two stairs, a corridor separating them, and then units on either side...is a little bit of an anomaly,” he explained.' Great to see Ravi Kahlon and Conrad Speckert discuss their leadership on the subject in Canada. The movement for more livable, climate adaptive, and family-friendly #multifamilyhousing continues to grow. I believe this is also the first publication to reference my forthcoming Island Press book, 'Building for People.' 💪 #citiesforpeople #climateurbanism #betterbuildings #multifamily #stadtplanung #livablecities https://lnkd.in/gmmhUC9T

In this video, Lindsay Puckett, AICP explains how the growth of suburbs, influenced by new urbanism, has led to a decline in sidewalk activity. As people move away from first-ring neighborhoods, they often face the inconvenience of having to drive for every errand due to a lack of sidewalks and grid street layouts. Lindsay emphasizes the need to reintroduce pedestrian-friendly features and better connectivity to encourage walking and improve accessibility in these suburban areas. Comment below any questions you have for Lindsay! 💬 . . . #premiumpropertytrust #birminghamalabama #bhamal #realestateinvesting #realestate #architecture #pptreit #realestateinvestment #realestateinvestmenttrust #buildinggenerationalwealth #mixedused #newurbanism #generationalwealth #investing #reit #ppt #verticalintegration #premiumbydesign

Huge day as the #BCGov announces FREE standardized housing design plans to residents of BC. The plans are modular (choose your base! choose your roof!) and allow for aesthetic variety within a neighborhood, ensuring we avoid 'cookie cutter' aesthetic pitfalls. They are also energy modelled to meet Step 4 or 5 in climate zone 5. Oh, and did I mention they are FREE? Still, more work remains. Challenges remain in financing these projects, particularly when builds are modular. Home owners will also need to weigh the pros and cons of stratification, and whether to sell or rent units on their lot. At the same time, it's crazy to think how far we've come on the housing file in the last few years. Housing targets for municipalities, standardized municipal finance tools, provincial upzoning, STR regulation, single egress stairs! These designs are one more sign that #BritishColumbia is a North American leader in addressing the housing affordability crisis. I encourage everyone to check out the Small Housing Gentle Density toolkit (linked below). Whether you are a builder, planner, designer, homeowner-developer, or general housing nerd. The toolkit is the ultimate resource for those interested in addressing the housing affordability crisis, no matter your expertise or political perspective. #residentialconstruction #housingaffordability #newhomes #stepcode

Exciting milestone for infill development with the Province releasing their new standardized designs. Looking forward to seeing how this is received in the industry. The Province also released some interesting costing metrics for the designs and BC Regions (found via the same news release link below). While the assumptions are clearly stated on page 1, the excluded costs are often the most significant areas where cost fluctuations significantly impact the viability of this housing form. A few examples on the excluded items. - Soft Costs: Design & Engineering costs can fluctuate with various municipal or region requirements. Project Financing costs typically fall into this area and are highly variable depending on the borrower's financial strength and the deal metrics. There are some new products coming online to help here. - Utility Connections: We've seen costs range from $8k to $275k for utility connections for similar sized projects, depending on the location and utility company's required upgrades (this isn't always know at time of permit submission) - Existing House Removal: The main goal of this housing form is to redevelop existing suburban neighbourhoods. House removal can be significant cost if there are hazardous materials and potentially stringent recycling requirements for demolishing buildings, depending on the Municipality. It's an exciting time and great to see the efforts in cataloging costs here, but it also highlights the need for more collaboration and programs to reduce risk and incentivize this form of housing for larger uptake. If you're interested in building and have questions - reach out! We've been working with homeowers, developers, and municipalities to develop feasible infill and #gentledensityhomes across BC.

Following last week’s #heritagetreasures post, we are sharing a micro case study on one of our smaller, but just as important heritage projects; Foley House in Great Malvern. The project was managed by Associate Director of Architecture, Sandy Fishpool. Objective: To return the Grade II listed Foley House to residential use through a sensitive conversion to apartments, working to a tight budget whilst ensuring a restoration that would meet planning requirements. It was discovered that the building was in a dilapidated state which required prompt action and the project was expanded to include major repair works. Approach: We took an interdisciplinary approach, involving planning, listed building consents, design and onsite project management. The local community asked for the retention of the historical plaque on the building façade and we worked hard to ensure this and other important heritage features were retained. Outcome: Success. Planning permission and listed building consent were achieved and the building’s new life as residential apartments began in 2023 when the new occupants of this heritage building moved in. #Heritage #CaseStudy #ResidentialDevelopment #ListedBuilding #PlanningPermission #RuralDevelopment #WeAreRural #ADifferentView