The New Plex
© Philippe Fournier 2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited unless advanced written permission is granted by the author. Final self-directed research project completed in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Architecture degree at McGill University. Summary: A multiplex is a low-rise multifamily residential building with two or more separately accessed dwelling units, built at a similar scale to a traditional house. To address severe housing shortages, many jurisdictions across North America and around the globe are reforming long-standing zoning laws to permit multiplex construction across vast areas of land which formerly only permitted building single-family houses. This opens up a new frontier of design possibilities for builders: how should these buildings be designed? Though well established across the province of Quebec and once historically common in many other places, multiplexes are rare in the rest of postwar North America, with the majority of private households now dwelling in single-family detached houses. The scale of the housing crisis demands a radical expansion of denser building stock, but the carbon intensity of large-scale new construction poses environmental problems. As an example of ‘missing middle’ housing, multiplexes have many advantages which make them opportune for addressing both the housing and climate crises simultaneously. While increasing density and housing options, plexes have the advantage of being small enough to construct in light wood frame, embodying low carbon and employing local materials and trades. Their human scale and adaptability can allow them to blend unobtrusively within the built character of many established suburban neighborhoods. Their low capital requirements would permit a competitive market to emerge among small builders, while their rapid constructability lends itself well to prefabrication and other efficient construction techniques. This project revisits historical North American multiplex designs, makes the argument for streamlining multiplex construction in contemporary infill suburban contexts, investigates their regulatory and practical constraints, and explores ways of designing the typology in order to improve its environmental performance, cost effectiveness, and above all the quality of life for residents.
© Philippe Fournier 2023. All rights reserved.
Reproduction prohibited unless advanced written permission is granted by the author.
Final self-directed research project completed in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Architecture degree at McGill University.
Summary:
A multiplex is a low-rise multifamily residential building with two or more separately accessed dwelling units, built at a similar scale to a traditional house. To address severe housing shortages, many jurisdictions across North America and around the globe are reforming long-standing zoning laws to permit multiplex construction across vast areas of land which formerly only permitted building single-family houses. This opens up a new frontier of design possibilities for builders: how should these buildings be designed? Though well established across the province of Quebec and once historically common in many other places, multiplexes are rare in the rest of postwar North America, with the majority of private households now dwelling in single-family detached houses. The scale of the housing crisis demands a radical expansion of denser building stock, but the carbon intensity of large-scale new construction poses environmental problems.
As an example of ‘missing middle’ housing, multiplexes have many advantages which make them opportune for addressing both the housing and climate crises simultaneously. While increasing density and housing options, plexes have the advantage of being small enough to construct in light wood frame, embodying low carbon and employing local materials and trades. Their human scale and adaptability can allow them to blend unobtrusively within the built character of many established suburban neighborhoods. Their low capital requirements would permit a competitive market to emerge among small builders, while their rapid constructability lends itself well to prefabrication and other efficient construction techniques. This project revisits historical North American multiplex designs, makes the argument for streamlining multiplex construction in contemporary infill suburban contexts, investigates their regulatory and practical constraints, and explores ways of designing the typology in order to improve its environmental performance, cost effectiveness, and above all the quality of life for residents.
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The New Plex
New England ‘Triple-Decker’
New England, USA
1900-1920
3 storeys, 3 units, 6 bedrooms
Lot Area:
Coverage:
FAR:
Storeys:
GFA:
GFA / Bedrooms:
Unit Access:
Construction / Materials:
Detached?
NBCC Division:
Means of Egress:
Bedroom Window Egress:
239.1m 2
56.1%
1.69
3 + basement
402.9m 2 (4,377 ft 2 )
44.8m 2
interior from from stairwell,
accessed from front door
light wood, balloon or platform
framing
Yes
Part 3, Group C
2 interior
Side setbacks required for side
bedroom fenestration
During post-civil war America, New England
became a major draw for waves of immigration
due to its textile industry. Boston, Providence,
New Bedford and various small mill towns
developed this unique wood frame typology to
accomodate them. An interior stairwell at the
front and back are provided to access the three
identical three-bedroom units, each of which
takes up a full floor. Bedrooms and the bathrooms
are loaded along one side of the building, while
the other side is given over to shared spaces
like dining rooms, living rooms, and pantries
for food preparation. Typically each unit also
has a porch or balcony at the front and back,
accessed off the stairwells. At their peak, they
comprised about 2/3 of the housing stock in cities
like New Bedford. They became seen as symbols
of the working class, inspiring resentment among
elites at the time. They declined in popularity as
local textile industry declined in the 20s, or were
banned by stringent fire codes in some places.
30
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