Pocket Suites Affordable Housing
Pocket Suites Affordable Housing
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Cohlmeyer Architecture with Paul McNeill..Cohlmeyer Architecture et Paul McNeill
Pocket Suites mirror the character of neighbouring homes. They have similar heights and footprints on the lot and use similar materials. Large windows in the central living spaces permit views of the facing streets or lanes.
Winnipeg’s Pocket Suites provide people on limited incomes with modern, compact and private apartments that fit comfortably into existing neighbourhoods.
In contrast to the corridors and stairs of traditional apartment buildings, inventive geometry ensures each of the eight 220-square-foot units, built on infill sites near public transit and public amenities, has an individual entrance and generous windows.
Challenges successfully met include incorporating kitchens and bathrooms into minimal space, working within a limited construction budget, and obtaining permits for non-traditional housing.
A unique solution for affordable housing, the Pocket Suites model has been applied to similar residential needs in Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Openings in the cedar and steel create a play of light and shadow on the second floor decks.
Pocket Suites elevations.
A decorative wooden fascia covers a downspout that takes water away from entries.
Second-floor decks hang from the roof structure so that entries below are free of obstructions and open to view.
The floor plans illustrate how the units fit together. An accessible unit is provided on the main level of each building.
Credits:
City Planner, Paul McNeill....Urbaniste, Paul McNeill
Landscape Architecture, Cynthia Cohlmeyer
Structural Engineer, Hanuschak Consultants
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, M2 Engineering
Contractor, J&J Penner Construction
Awards:
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Housing Awards Program, Best Practices in Affordable Housing, 2008
Province of Manitoba, Manitoba Planning Excellence Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Community Planning, with S.A.M. Properties and ND Lea (now MMM Group), 2007
Association of Consulting Engineering Companies, Manitoba Awards of Excellence, Manitoba Award of Merit in Innovation, with SAM Properties and ND Lea (now MMM Group), 2007
The Canadian Institute of Planners, Award for Planning Excellence in Housing, with SAM Properties and ND Lea (now MMM group), 2007
.Technically Excellent
