Photo: MutarQ Architecture
Winning design
An architecture company based out of Mexico City took top honors in a City of Kelowna sponsored housing design challenge.
The Infill Design Challenge 2.0 piggybacked on a similar challenge the policy and planning department undertook six years ago.
Planner Arlene Janousek says this challenge generated new ideas for housing on existing lots without laneways in various areas of the city.
Of the 56 submissions received, MutarQ Architecutre, which bills itself as a “young design studio currently based in Mexico City,” was selected as the top design by an outside jury.
“It’s a one building, four-unit proposal that offers a diversity of unit sizes with great accessibility,” said Janousek.
“Judges appreciated the potential flexibility of the site design, as well as ample open space both private and shared, and the accessibility measures built into the application.”
The second and third place submissions were also four-unit proposals, but differed in that both were included within two buildings.
Janousek says the second place design from Kelowna-based Bluegreen Architecture featured a connected area in the middle of the design which serves as covered parking and patio space.
“Judges thought this project would be a really good fit into an existing neighborhood, and appreciate the diversity of units as well.”
Janousek says the overarching goals of the competition were to explore increased housing diversity in new parts of the core area, show how infill can be well designed while meeting various community objectives, provide area residents with examples of how infill housing can improve their neighborhoods, and reinforce positive relationships between the city, development and home building industry and area residents.
“The top designs helped to demonstrate that high quality infill developments is feasible on lots without laneways in Kelowna.”
She says the winning designs will help to inform new infill housing zones to be included within updated zoning bylaws.
Each of the winning designs will also receive a small cash award from the $56,000 budgeted for the challenge, of which $36,000 was provided as a grant from CHMC and sponsorships.
