This large lot centrally located along the St. Clair West corridor included a substantial single storey detached garage. Our team was engaged to develop a second storey addition to the existing structure that would offer a family-oriented rental suite and provide additional income on the lot. The result is this spacious 860 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit complete with a generous South-facing terrace at the laneway. The design minimizes sight lines to the the rear yard by using existing trees and setbacks to privatize bedrooms on the North elevation and leverages Southern exposure for a living space that will be drenched in daylight.
Our team successfully sought a minor variance approval at the Committee of Adjustment, working closely with community planning to maximize likelihood of success while preserving the homeowner’s programmatic goals. By using the existing setbacks to our advantage and cleverly locating the new construction relative to the existing building, the proposal completely conforms to the changing lanes zoning by-laws, limiting variances to those only triggered by the size of the existing structure below.
The Humewood Laneway Suites demonstrates how a thorough comprehension of the changing lanes by-laws, combined with contextually sensitive design can yield an exemplary living space true to the spirit of the laneway housing policy in Toronto.
