I wrote previously about a very small lot infill proposed for Preston/Norman. The lot would be about 33′ x 33′, and the house pretty much the same size. It would be a three storey apartment building.
Here is a small lot infill in Toronto. It appears to be about the size of a 2 car garage, about 20′ x 20′.
It’s on a very small lot on the back end of a side yard, abutting a service laneway. Two-tone dark colours allows the eye to slip over it easily. The electrical mast on the right needs to be introduced to dark brown paint; I also feel the front door would read better if painted to match the windows.
I was intrigued to see how it is set back compared to the adjacent storefront, which has a wider sidewalk albeit with person-holes that imply some sort of underground utility.
The view from a bit further over is sickening. Vandals have made themselves known.
I remember reading a great story in the Toronto Star a while back about an older infill house that was built on the driveway of a neighbouring house, or was about the same proportion. The house was ridiculously small, yet still coveted, partially due to it being a low price. Still, people have clearly been doing this sort of thing for ages.
A search on the web didn’t turn up the desired result, but I found this: http://www.futurehousenow.com/2007/06/urban-infill-magic-donald-chongs-galley.html. Note the lack of front-entrance parking, Ottawa developers…
Erinn, nice link. What a great use of limited space.
You’re right, Eric – that last photo with the graffiti IS sickening. One of the best things about living in Ottawa is how tidy and graffiti-free it is compared to Toronto.
Not that we don’t have a problem – there were 2,911 incidents reported to 311 last year and the problem is “hugely exploding” in his ward, according to Innes Coun. Rainer Bloess. But it’s way worse in most other big cities in the world. We almost NEVER see graffiti in Bells Corners.
Montreal has TONS of graffiti compared to Ottawa – some of it ugly, some of it beautiful.
As a Centretown resident who has a beige stucco (a big blank canvas) house on a corner I know about being tagged. And how difficult it can be to remove. And how offended one feels when you get a summons from the city telling you to remove it or they will and bill you. I’m typically not a big “Law and Order” kind of guy but they really need to make a public example of some of these guys to get across the message that this is not acceptable. And if they are teenagers from an afluent neighbourhood directly south of mine Mom and Dad should be coughing up some serious dough in restitution. If they catch one tagger at work how much paint has he left in other locations. Barring that how about some restrictions on Spray Paint sales at hardware store. Is that possible?
When I was last in California, spray paint is kept in heavy mesh cages in hardware stores, under lock and key. Paint sales were controlled. Dunno if it works.
If you control paint sales, vandalism springs up with new media. Starting about 2000 in Paris I noticed plate glass windows gouged and scratched with grafiti using screwdrivers or awls. Since then the plague has spread to Ottawa, is now common to see huge plate glass windows, bus windows, bus shelters .. all gouged.
The only resolution I see is if people are quicker to report it, and the police prosecute it, and yes I go as far as saying when guys are picked up on the street and “just happen” to have a screwdriver in their pocket … book ’em Dano!
I believe that suppressing a youth’s right to express themselves artistically (when and where they see fit) constitutes child abuse. Monster!
On a related note, interesting infill home. Loved the tope deck. It would be nice to enjoy a drink above all the madness…..