Mole Hill Missing Middle Housing
Status Completed 2018
Location Vancouver, BC
Builder Summit Brooke
Structural Engineer Fast + Epp
Photography Sama Jim Canzian
Press Canadian Architect, CBC
Context
Characterized by the layering of many periods of the city’s history, the West End neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver and the Mole Hill block in particular, showcases a diverse range of heritage buildings from the early 1900s.
Adjacent to the largest park in the West End, and within walking distance to the jobs and amenities in the downtown core, the site is perfectly situated for infill housing that increases the city’s rental stock.
The lessons learned from the project inspired our winning entry to the Urbanarium ideas competition on Missing Middle housing.
Approach
Sandwiched in between a 7 storey heritage apartment building and a 2.5 storey heritage house, this project was about transitioning in scale between the two, and - more importantly - unlocking the potential for contextual multi-family housing on a standard 33’ x 122’ single family lot. 6 dedicated rental units replaced a 1950’s single family bungalow.
Missing Middle Typology
Not quite a single-family home, and yet not a soaring condo building, the missing middle typology offers something in between. In rethinking the possibilities for urban dwelling, it’s a solution that calls for incremental densification without drastically disrupting the character and community of existing neighbourhoods.
Mole Hill Missing Middle Housing embodies the desirable qualities of a missing middle typology, including walkable urban living, accessibility to a middle-income household, and housing diversity, which are all essential to the continued fostering of a city’s social and cultural vibrancy.
Heritage
The heritage context of the neighbourhood notably shaped the contemporary structure that gently inserts itself among the Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Its modern expression makes a deliberate nod to some of the more traditional typologies of the neighbouring Mole Hill Houses, articulated through the sloped roof, separate exterior dwelling entrances, and a network of intimate paths and walkways.
Photo Gallery
