Business in the Front, Ms Le in the Back
The Missing Middle
The project looks at developing new forms of collective housing as a response to Toronto’s “Yellowbelt”, a zone in the city of Toronto where zoning restrictions do not allow for high-density residential construction. The aim is in proposing a new type of housing for these areas, one that would allow for density without disrupting the character of a low-rise neighbourhood, solving what urban planners refer to as the “missing middle”, moving away from the single-family home and the high rise condo tower.
Reclaiming the Laneway
The Queen and Ossington Block has a unique condition where its laneway was bought by the Queen West Self Storage warehouse, blocking access for any rear entry for the surrounding commercial/residential units. The site also is the only blocked laneway that cuts access within the Ossington Laneway to Trinity Bellwoods Park. The project looks at creating its own laneway by developing new access that cuts across the parcels, eventually creating a full path throughout the east and west edges once its final scenario is completed.
Collective Housing and Queen Street West
The project looks at allowing existing owners on commercial/residential building methods of expanding on their properties in order to develop growth and opportunities for a cohousing development while engaging with the existing laneway and investigating shared courtyard spaces.