Hybrid Laneway House

This project is a proposal that introduces a hybrid use typology in the context of Toronto's laneways. Initially designed for garage access and waste collection routes, rising demand for urban housing has led to updates in zoning regulations to permit residences on these sites. They can either be owned by the main house on the site or sold separately, and their designs are guided by strict zoning regulations that limit their heights and floor areas.

For this project, the main updates to laneway house zoning would be to raise the height limit to permit three floors, in order to allow boutique stores to operate at the ground level. As laneways are turned over to residential uses, it would be beneficial to include commercial elements like micro-cafés to improve the urban experience and introduce more economic opportunities in the area.

The site chosen for this project is on Wayne & Shuster Lane in the Palmerston neighbourhood of downtown Toronto. The historic residential district dates to the Victorian area and contains numerous Victorian and Edwardian mansions, each with access to Wayne & Shuster Lane. The site is next to an Edwardian Gothic coach house from 1908, and the design concept is informed by the historic character of the area.