[Daveography]

A public survey found 70 per cent of Edmonton residents don’t want city hall regulating privacy between neighbours in mature neighbourhoods.

But city council moved to do just that Monday.

Arguing the survey doesn’t match what they have heard from communities, they passed a series of bylaw amendments to enforce greater privacy screening.

The new rules will require most new rooftop patios to be set back at least two metres from edge of the roof overlooking its own backyard or the neighbour’s house. It must be one metre back from the front of the house.

New decks must have privacy screening when they are one metre or more off the ground in the back or side yard.

For windows on two-storey homes located two metres or less from the neighbouring property line, infill developers must sketch out where each neighbour has their windows and bring that to the city when they submit their development application. They’ll have to plan for trees, bushes, frosted glass or raised windows to protect the neighbour’s privacy.

Full Story (Edmonton Journal)

 

[Daveography]

Edmonton's new privacy regulations have infill builders fuming
Edmonton’s infill builders are fuming after a set of recent privacy amendments forced them to re-engineer and resubmit projects already waiting up to eight weeks in the city queue.

With the winter season looming, commercial homebuilder Darcy Fett estimates this delay and additional design will cost him up to $20,000.

Fett wanted to include a rooftop patio across the front of his skinny home in Belgravia, similar to designs he had seen across the city. But after applying for his permit June 30, Fett got a note back from city staff eight weeks later, saying changes passed Aug. 22 must be considered.

“The entire front facade had to change,” said the homebuilder, who handles 10 projects a year. He’s worried about having to pour concrete protected with tarps and heaters during the winter. “To have the project just sitting there for a month and a half, it’s frustrating. Winter construction can be quite expensive.”

The new rules require all rooftop patios to be set back at least one metre from the front and sides of buildings, and two metres from the back. City planners say it’s for the privacy of neighbours and to reduce the perception of size from the sidewalk.

Full Story (Edmonton Journal)

 

[Daveography]

A new set of infill rules would force builders to change home designs for Edmonton’s mature neighbourhoods.

If the new rules pass, builders will have to use at least three materials on each street-facing facade and won’t be able to build identical homes side by side.

These and other changes to the mature neighbourhood zoning rules will be discussed Thursday from 4 pm. to 8 p.m. at the Chateau Louis on Kingsway Avenue.

Full Story (Edmonton Journal)

 

[Daveography]

Unwanted Edmonton Infill changes causing headaches for builders
New zoning rules regulating privacy are causing headaches for infill developers thanks to a change the city made despite most residents asking it not to bother.

The city has introduced a slew of new design standards, requiring that rooftop terraces be set back from the front of the building and that windows be positioned in a way that respects neighbourhing properties.

Tai Ziola, chair of Infill Development of Edmonton Association (IDEA), said she’s hearing from a lot of builders who are now finding they have to change housing designs.

She said infill homes have been subject to a lot of changing rules and this is just the latest switch.

“There hasn’t ever been a lot of reliability in what you can develop and what you can’t,” she said.

Full Story (Metro Edmonton)

 

[Daveography]

Infill awards point to better ideas
Infill may be among Edmonton's most contentious types of construction, but the winners of Edmonton's first design competition think they have the answer to the critics.

Winners of the city's inaugural infill design competition were declared Thursday, chosen for their ability to design for multiple occupants and environmental, social and economic sustainability.

“The competition is a brilliant and fun way to move the infill conversation beyond contention toward possibilities, innovation and an achievable positive reality,” said Cynthia Dovell, a principal architect with local firm Avid Architecture, who won an award of merit for their interpretation of a semi-detached house.

Full Story (Metro Edmonton)

 

[Daveography]

Congratulations to Edmonton's First Infill Design Competition Winners!

October 21, 2016

The City of Edmonton is proud to announce the winners of Edmonton’s first Infill Design Competition. The winners were celebrated at the awards gala held last night at the Art Gallery of Alberta.

Awards of Merit

• Inclination | Sam an Maleknia, Tyler Vreeling, Vaughan Hoy, Myron Nebozuk, Brad Kennedy, Edmonton
• hoUSe | AVID Architecture, Edmonton
  Backyard Pingo | Rockliff Pierzchajlo Kroman Architects Ltd., Edmonton
• Courtyard Villa | Douglas Sollows Architect Inc., Edmonton

Student Award (Post Secondary)

• Award of Merit:
  KIN[fill] | Kelsy Whitten, Elyse Kavanagh, Vancouver
  
• Best in Class: Yard-1 | Andrew Falls, Ruslan Ivanytskyy, Toronto

Best in Class Awards

• Best Overall:
  SlimCity | MIZA Architects, Vancouver
• Open Category:
  Tweener | 5468796 Architecture Inc., Winnipeg
• Attached Housing: Marc Brulotte, Brenda Peters, Laurie Lebirk, Louise Gibson, Gilbert Catabay, Edmonton
• Garage/Garden Suite: Max/Min | Erick Villagomez, Paola Gavilanez, Vancouver

Jury Special Recognition
Pork Chop Lot | Sherri Shorten, Mette Rasmussen, Shelley Sabo, Edmonton

People’s Choice Award
The Edmonton Wood-flex House | O+R Studio, Toronto

This was an open competition, one of the first of its kind in Canada, where architects, designers, planners, students and anyone with creative ideas about infill in Edmonton were invited to submit proposals. The competition was created to help demonstrate how infill can enhance, rather than detract from the character of our established neighbourhoods.

"This whole competition was intended to find designs that would inspire us, to elevate our infill to another level," said Councillor Bev Esslinger who cohosted the awards gala last night with Councillor Scott McKeen. "We hope to inspire future architects to try different things and to hopefully change the face of our neighbourhoods throughout the City."

Councillors Scott McKeen and Bev Esslinger initially came up with the idea: "Bev and I both thought, how can we uplift the discussion on infill through interesting, creative and great design," said Councillor McKeen. That idea was then brought to City staff to design the competition. "We are just so thrilled with the work of Administration."

Thank you to all who took the time to prepare submissions - we received over 80! To view all of the submissions, visit the competition website.

Also, thank you to those who took the time to vote online for the “People’s Choice” award category. A total of 2850 votes were received, with the winning submission receiving 878 votes. The “People’s Choice” category invites everyone to learn about the breadth of possibilities for infill design in Edmonton and to continue the evolving infill conversation.

The City of Edmonton is excited to showcase design innovation and best practices that improve the quality of infill development in the City. The Infill Design Competition is just one of many initiatives the City is working on to help encourage more and better infill in Edmonton. The competition was inspired by Action 8 of Edmonton’s Infill Roadmap, the City’s two-year work plan for advancing infill in Edmonton.

For more information:
edmontoninfilldesign.ca
Media contact:
Amber Medynski
Communications Advisor, Sustainable Development
780-508-9528

http://www.mailoutinteractive.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=854239&q=1102407958&qz=b17dac

 

[Daveography]

City seeking residents to help design townhomes in Twin Brooks
November 24, 2016

The City is seeking six to eight Twin Brooks residents to help design new First Place townhomes planned for their neighbourhood. Residents are encouraged to drop by the open house to learn more about the council-approved townhome development planned in Twin Brooks and sign up to be considered for the design engagement committee.

Date: Saturday, December 03, 2016
Time: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: George P. Nicholson School, 1120 113 Street NW (Gymnasium Hall)
Twin Brooks residents selected to participate in the established design engagement process will have an opportunity to work with the builder to help ensure new townhomes are a good “fit” within the existing community. This will include providing input on design elements, such as building orientation, massing and rooflines, site access, vistas, and exterior home design details and landscaping. Participants selected will be required to attend three to four evening meetings taking place over a two to four month period.

Residents who are unable to attend the open house can still apply to be considered for the design engagement committee by calling 780-442-3794 or emailing firstplace@edmonton.ca using the subject line ‘Twin Brooks Design Engagement Application’. Deadline to apply is December 10, 2016.

To help Twin Brooks residents better understand the First Place townhome development planned for their neighbourhood, the City will also be hosting a tour of the nearby Bearspaw First Place development on Thursday, December 15, 2016. To sign up for the tour, residents should email firstplace@edmonton.ca by December 5, 2016 using the subject line ‘Bearspaw Showhome Tour’.

The City’s First Place program collaborates with banks and builders to develop attractive townhouses on vacant land declared surplus by school boards. The townhomes are market priced, with a five-year deferral on the land portion of the mortgage, making them more accessible to first time home buyers.

For more information:
edmonton.ca/twinbrooksfirstplace

Media contact:
Karen Burgess
Communications Advisor, Real Estate & Housing Branch
City of Edmonton
780-496-4908

http://www.mailoutinteractive.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=866468&q=1120374690&qz=b699d7

 

[Daveography]

The three-unit apartment would be built on one of the narrowest standard lots in Edmonton and now Garneau residents have been given the right to take their fight against it to the Court of Appeal.

A developer wants to build on a 10-metre (33-foot) wide lot, which for years was one of the narrowest standard lot sizes in Edmonton. It will be built to look like a single-family house from 1920, but with a basement suite, units on two storeys, and an attic suite. Neighbours argue it will “loom” over other properties.

A city development officer refused the permit because it would be built too close to the side property lines. In September, the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board overturned that refusal.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...t-three-unit-apartment-building-on-narrow-lot

 

[Daveography]

First skinny homes, now skinny apartment buildings? Next infill 'evolution' hits Edmonton
First, council allowed skinny houses. Now, Edmonton planners are approving skinny apartment buildings on former single-family lots.

Six have already been approved for 10-metre-wide (33-foot) lots in Garneau — one with five one-bedroom units — and planning officials hope to make them easier to build near transit routes across the city.

But the process has Coun. Ben Henderson frustrated.

“The fact we’re saying one thing and doing another doesn’t build trust with people,” he said, after learning planners are granting large exceptions to the minimum size rules for apartment buildings to do it.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...buildings-next-infill-evolution-hits-edmonton

 

[Daveography]

Garneau residents upset by 'skinny' infill apartments
Kathy Bruce-Kavanagh has lived in the Garneau neighbourhood for decades and she's upset about infill housing affecting her community.

She's particularly unhappy with the increasing number of permits being issued for "skinny" apartment buildings on lots formerly occupied by just one home.

"Density is one thing," she said in an interview. "But the lots are too small for what's being built on them."

Bruce-Kavanagh said the city has "infill mania" when it comes to Garneau.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/garneau-residents-upset-by-skinny-infill-apartments-1.3935427

 

[Daveography]

Editorial: Follow zoning rules or change them properly
Edmonton city planners are approving skinny apartment buildings on former single-family lots.

Six have been approved for 10-metre wide lots in Garneau as part of a plan to make small neighbourhood multi-family buildings easier to build near transit corridors.

These “middle-density” developments are supposed to provide more infill accommodation in mature neighbourhoods already well served by city services.

But here’s the rub: these developments technically shouldn’t be allowed. Officials are sidestepping existing rules to approve these projects.

http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-follow-zoning-rules-or-change-them-properly

 

[Daveography]

Edmonton proposing new inspection fees for infill homes
Developers building homes in older neighbourhoods can expect new inspection fees, but the executive director with an infill advocacy groups says the rules should apply to all neighbourhoods.

“If it’s good for mature neighbourhoods then I feel like it’s good for the other established neighbourhoods,” said Mariah Samji, executive director with the Infill Development in Edmonton Association.

Samji’s comments come after the city released a report Thursday that shows Edmonton is proposing to charge a $200 inspection fee for infill development in communities in the “mature neighbourhood overlay,” which largely encompasses older neighbourhoods.

The change means inspections would occur when residents are about to move in — Currently, homes inspections occur when there’s a complaint, which could be years after someone moves in.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmont...ing-new-inspection-fees-for-infill-homes.html

 

[Daveography]

Join us for a guided bus tour of infill development in Edmonton.

The 2017 Infill Tour, co-hosted by IDEA (Infill Development in Edmonton Association) and the City of Edmonton, provides the opportunity to step into a variety of infill homes and experience what it’s like to live there.

Each bus will make five stops to showcase Edmonton’s infill development, including a guided tour of each home and the surrounding neighbourhood. Between stops, your tour guide will facilitate a discussion about what everyone saw, heard and learned at each location.

As part of the Evolving Infill 2.0 Project, the 2017 Infill Tour aims to be fun and enlightening. We hope to provide an opportunity to meet new people and engage in an open conversation about infill development in the City of Edmonton.

Event Details
Where: Meet at Norwood Legion, 11150 82 Street Northwest
When: 9:00am-4:30pm - Saturday, May 27, 2017
Cost: Free! Light breakfast and a bagged lunch will be provided.

RSVP online for the 2017 Infill Tour

IDEA will be hosting an event on the evening of the tour, stay tuned to their website for details!

A self-guided tour will be offered for those who can’t attend the full bus tour or would like to do the tour on their own time. The tour location booklet and map will be available here on May 26, 2017.

Learn more about Evolving Infill.

http://mailchi.mp/edmonton/evolving-infill-tour?e=d42f7eff02

 

[Das Ponto]

Speaking of infills, got to shoot a couple in Glenora for Swish Developments.

Still need to do exterior shots once they are completed.

_MG_5843 by Ryan Ponto, on Flickr

_MG_5823 by Ryan Ponto, on Flickr

_MG_5801 by Ryan Ponto, on Flickr

_MG_5804 by Ryan Ponto, on Flickr

_MG_6014 by Ryan Ponto, on Flickr

_MG_6001 by Ryan Ponto, on Flickr

_MG_5945 by Ryan Ponto, on Flickr

 

[Daveography]

Very nice house, and great photos @Das Ponto!