WINNER OF A 2023 CANADIAN ARCHITECT AWARD OF MERIT
A wonderful, contemporized interpretation of the Vancouver Special using prefabricated components. This systematic approach makes it easy to imagine a wide range of ways to intensify single family lots in ways that can support multiple households. — Michael Heeney, juror
For Leckie Studio, the starting point for a new Vancouver prefabricated housing prototype was a precedent that had gone from being widely built to being widely disparaged. In 1965, plans for what became known as the Vancouver Special could be purchased at City Hall for $65. Initially targeted to immigrant families looking for an affordable modern house that was an off-the-rack fit for Vancouver’s standard, 33-foot-wide city lots, Vancouver Specials whooshed through permitting and could be constructed in less than a month. By the 1980s, these boxy jiffy-builds were so reviled that bylaws were passed to prevent their further construction, particularly in Vancouver’s more affluent west side neighbourhoods, where colonialist heritage was defended as the status quo.
Fast-forward to the present: Vancouver’s housing prices are insane… and it may once again be time to think within the box. But this time around, “gentle densification” is a desired outcome, which lends itself well to a box that can be easily subdivided. Leckie Studio’s Triptych prototype is an adaptable housing system with three possible interior configurations within one standardized 2400-square-foot structure, consisting of three 800-square-foot ‘modules’. The ‘3 Module’ configuration is a standard 2400-square-foot residence; the ‘2+1 Module’ configuration consists of one 1600-square-foot unit (2 modules) with a secondary 800-square-foot unit (1 module); and the ‘1+1+1 Module’ configuration consists of three 800-square-foot ground-oriented dwelling units. Standardized wall, window, door and service locations allow for minimal renovation between the three configurations. An additional 800-square-foot laneway module can be added to further increase density on any urban lot to four units—all ground-oriented.
“The fundamental key to sustainability in architecture is to create high-performance buildings with adaptable permanence and avoid costly and wasteful demolition,” Leckie Studio states. “In order to future-proof housing and provide adaptability over time, future scenarios must be considered at the time of the initial design and construction—space planning, infrastructure, and construction methodology are all aligned to accommodate the potential future-use cases.” According to the design team’s calculations, Triptych’s prefabricated, component-based approach to construction starts at $400 per square foot. The prototype’s four-unit maximum per lot is compatible with Vancouver’s proposed Simplified Single Family (RS) Zoning Regulations.
To maximize both reconfigurability and usable floor space, Triptych consolidates plumbing, electrical, and mechanical services into vertical spines, minimizing visible services in the exposed ceilings and simplifying the prefabrication process. Prefabricated floor panels, placed between the modules’ demising walls, achieve efficient unit costs and allow for a systematic approach to locating services. In the densest layout, each 800-square-foot unit contains two bedrooms and one bathroom. To ensure a degree of privacy for all three dwellings in the triplex configuration, the centre unit is accessed through the side yard; the entry for one flanking unit is from the street edge, and the other has a rear yard entry. In the lowest density configuration—the three-bedroom-plus-2.5-bathroom ‘3 Module’ layout—the removal/omission of floor panels at the upper floor provides a double-height dining area, while the removal of the additional stairs frees up space for a home office and generous primary bedroom and ensuite.
As was the case with the Vancouver Special, Triptych provides pragmatic answers to the challenges of making low-rise urban housing more affordable and inclusive.
CLIENT Private | ARCHITECT TEAM Michael Leckie, Holden Korbin, Emily Dovbniak, Alastair Bird, James Eidse, Ian lee, Aldo Buitrago | CONTRACTOR/PREFABRICATION CONSULTANT BCollective | STRUCTURAL ASPECT Structural Engineers | BUILDING ENVELOPE Evoke | AREA 223 m2 | BUDGET $1 M | STATUS Construction Documentation | ANTICIPATED COMPLETION Fall 2024