Commerical-Lane Row-Housing Commercial lanes in Vancouver represent an opportunity to re-think and adapt the city's popular laneway house guidelines.

1. Laneway Housing: Past / Present / Future
Commercial Lane Row Housing
‘fabLab - October 2013

2. Laneway Housing – Past / Present / Future

3. Laneway housing in
Vancouver dates back to
the early 20th century.
‘Coach houses’
‘Carriage houses’

4. The LWH design
guidelines echo the
idea of the pastoral
‘cottage’…
Vancouver’s current
laneway house policy
started in 2009.
LWHs are meant to fit within
the footprint of a typical
detached garage, with a
smaller upper storey.

5. Many older cities have a very different approach to lanes…

6. Laneway Housing – Past / Present / Future

7. photo: krista jahnke

8. photo: tordia images

11. Laneway Housing – Past / Present / Future

12. The future:
•
Climate Change Impacts
•
Resource Scarcity
•
Rapid urbanization and
migration
•
Global population growth
(until 2070?)

13. Is the pastoral cottage the right model for the future of our cities?

14. One alternative common to many older cities: Row Housing (Amsterdam Docklands)

15. Emerging Trend: Super efficient ‘Passive House’ design

16. Emerging Trend: Lanes as dynamic public spaces (Melbourne)

17. The Opportunity: Vancouver’s Commercial Lanes
In the city’s commercial lanes higher density arterial development
shares common space with residential lots

18. The Opportunity: Vancouver’s Commercial Lanes
In the city’s commercial lanes higher density arterial development
shares common space with residential lots
Of all the places in the city where LWHs are allowed, these could
be home to a more urban approach to lane house design

19. What if we brought Amsterdam-style row houses to our
commercial lanes?

20. What if we brought Amsterdam-style row houses to our
commercial lanes?
And layered in Melbourne-style public spaces?

21. What if we brought Amsterdam-style row houses to our
commercial lanes?
And layered in Melbourne-style public spaces?
Housing, public space, commercial functions layered together.
Future-ready urbanism. The Commercial Lane Row House

22. Laneway Housing – Past / Present / Future
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