TO10

TO10 is a housing competition proposal to provide Toronto with much needed affordable dwellings by grafting additional building blocks on the city’s existing fabric. The project reclaims the residual space at the rear of commercial strips and in between rows of residential blocks. The proposed locations capitalize access to existing services, commerce, and transit.

As the building is abutting a commercial strip, its solid base contains commercial and service-oriented spaces at the ground floor as well as automated parking above. When cars become obsolete, the parking floor will be converted to more residential units or amenities. A community floor is right above with services such as daycare, socializing hubs for seniors, greenhouse gardens, as well as shared workspaces that also populate part of the penthouse floor.

Modular residential floors with a mix of unit types and sizes respond to every generation and cultural background.

When the building is located amongst residential dwelling its solid base is removed, and the community floor becomes its ground. The services are accessible to the neighbors at large.

Its shape is reminiscent of saltboxes houses. As such it uses prevailing winds for cooling its glazed double skin façade during summer months. In the winter, the double skin traps warm air and insulates the building. Heat from the sun is also stored in the solid timber floors and water towers disseminated across the building.

Each unit is provided with an enclosed patio that works as a winter garden for most of the year and as an outdoor terrace in the brief gorgeous summer. Its structural system is simple: a 32’x16’ grid with CLT walls and floors above a 32’x32’ concrete grid for the base.

Plumbing and mechanical systems are located along a central spine parallel to the length of the massing. Bathrooms and kitchens are prefabricated pods assembled offsite and dropped in place during construction.

The building’s double skin incorporates solar glass that generates energy. It is stored in batteries throughout the building and can power the residences and the fleet of electric cars.