27.04.2023 Views

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

Figure 19. Change in Condo, House Sizes in Ontario over Time

Now consider options for the same property (images

right side) if the existing home is allowed to be

demolished and replaced with a higher-density home,

in this case standard attached Montreal ‘plexes’ as

well as backyard suites. The overall household and

bedroom capacity of the site multiplies, without the

buildings ever exceeding three full storeys in height.

Laws which greatly restrict the redevelopment

opportunities of single family properties give rise

to the lucrative industry of wildly speculative,

cosmetic “house flipping.” Property investors

seeking a return have limited options: since they

cannot increase the net supply of housing stock,

they can either bid up the cost of the existing

housing stock, replace an existing home with a more

luxurious home, or convert homes to rentals. Rental

conversions such as rooming houses can increase

the avilable rental stock and provide a cheap option

for tenants, but this comes at the expense of privacy

and the potential for overcrowding, especially if

44

licensing rules are uncertain and poorly enforced.

An even more lucrative option for many investors

is to simply convert properties into illicit short-term

hotels like Airbnb. Poor enforcement of regulations

as well as property tax codes which treat Airbnbs

as residential rather than higher-tax commercial

properties can exacerbate the phenomenon. Partly

due to these factors and others, the average detached

single family home size in Ontario has increased

25% since the 1990s while new condo units have

shrunk. This is concerning as Canadian household

sizes are decreasing while the overall number of

households are increasing. This means single family

properties are taking up even more space to house

less people. Many parts of Toronto’s Yellowbelt

are now depopulating despite surging demand. In

Vancouver, the 52% of city land zoned exclusively

for single family homes and duplexes (constituting

81% of residentially zoned land) only house 15%

of the population.

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