The Double Duplex – Haeccity Studio Architecture

About this design

  • Type: Fourplex
  • # of units: 4 
  • Square footage: 6,629 sq. ft. 
  • Lot size: Medium lot (at least 50 ft. x 120 ft. or 6,000 sq. ft.) 
  • Estimated cost of construction: Starting at $1,900,000 (2024 estimates, subject to change)
  • Design ID: DL004

This unique layout for medium lots offers four total homes in two duplex buildings around a central courtyard. The ground-oriented units each have a separate private entrance and private outdoor area at grade, creating a sense of individual connection to the units while also allowing for neighbourly interactions in the social mixing space of the courtyard. Open areas allow for mature trees, gardens, and amenity areas for families to build connection and community. The building is highly customizable to further highlight the individuality of the residents through variation of exterior cladding for the different volumes, customizable unit entrances and balconies, window shape and location, etc. The simple volumes can easily be offset in plan to create additional articulation and privacy, or offset in height to respond to sloped sites. Likewise, the roof pitch and shape are customizable to respond to neighbourhood context and owner preference. The spacious plans can be adapted to fit slightly different site widths, and the centralized service area of each building can be customized to accommodate additional bike parking, storage, or enhanced utilities like renewable energy metering. The design incorporates high performance features to ensure energy efficiency and a low carbon footprint, and can be adapted to achieve advanced performance standards like Passive House. The compact building forms preserve energy and increase occupant comfort, and the modest punched openings balance daylighting and privacy while reducing heat loss and energy costs. The designer is a licensed Architect and Certified Passive House Designer.

How to use this design 

This schematic design is made to be adaptable to a range of site sizes and conditions. Slight modifications may be needed to respond to your specific site, and additional work will be required to apply for a building permit. Haeccity Studio Architecture is a full service architecture firm registered with AIBC, and licensed to provide sealed architectural drawings for multiplexes. Please reach out to them directly by emailing [email protected] or visiting their website www.haeccity.com for more information.

Price to license plan: $2,500 

Hourly rate for additional services: 

  • $175/hr blended rate. 
  • Fixed fees for Additional Services available upon request. 

  • Minimum lot size: 50’ x 120’ (with the designer able to revise to fit on lots as small as 48’ x 118’)  
  • Lot characteristics suitable for design: 
    • Best for sites with an existing lane. 
    • Adaptable for no lane (without parking). 
    • Adaptable to sloped sites. 
    • Good for sites with existing trees at the centre of the site. 
  • Servicing and access requirements for design: 
    • 1.2m Fire Department access from street to courtyard. 
    • Allows for BC Hydro transformer (PMT) as needed with electrical room. 
    • Allows for water meter/sprinkler room. 
    • Allows for waste pick-up. 
  • Parking requirements: 
    • Allows for dedicated parking stalls accessed from lane. 

Preview site and floor plans

Additional information

Energy considerations 

While energy modelling and carbon calculation would need to be completed for each specific project prior to a Building Permit application, this Part 9 design includes allowances to ensure that it can meet those requirements and still remain adaptable to specific site and owner conditions. 

  1. Site Plan allows for a PMT to assist in the electrification of heating and domestic hot water systems. 
  2. Compact building forms contribute to a high volume to surface area ratio, enhancing airtightness and building performance.
  3. Layouts include extra exterior wall thickness to accommodate different structural and insulation approaches as well as variations in cladding. 
  4. Sections include room for ample roof, slab, and foundation insulation. 
  5. Exterior rigid roof insulation with no attics means that more space is useable by families, the overall building height is kept low, and airtightness is improved.
  6. Smaller punched openings and high-performance windows help control heat loss while still allowing light and views. Window size, location, and solar shading would be adjusted to specific sites to maximize solar gains in winter and minimize overheating in summer. 
  7. Operable skylights at the tops of stairs provide daylighting and contribute to passive cooling through a chimney effect.
  8. Roof and patio areas can accommodate heat pumps to provide clean, efficient heating and cooling to all units. 
  9. A centralized water meter room allows for sprinkler systems and efficient distribution of water to all units. If an alternate location is used (due to sloped sites or a crawl space) this area can be easily repurposed to storage or other amenity.
  10. Plumbing locations are stacked for efficient distribution and reduced water heat loss.
  11. High ceilings and closets allow options for the location of an (75% efficient or greater) HRV system for each unit.
  12. No basements or underground parking reduces concrete and therefore lowers the carbon footprint of the building.

Privacy 

Window and balcony locations have been strategically placed to maintain privacy while still allowing for neighborliness and social interaction in the courtyard. Optional offsets in the building footprint can allow private outdoor spaces to be tucked around corners from view, and the majority of windows are located toward street, lane, and courtyard. Limited side yard windows can be clerestory height (above eye level) or utilize obscure glass for increased privacy.

Adaptability 

Key adaptability features include

  1. extra clearance around doors and beds in conformance with new BCBC code updates, 
  2. kitchen layouts with no fixed islands, and
  3. bath layouts with extra clearances and adaptable to low barrier showers and other features in conformance with BCBC 3.8.5.

Green building and passive homes 

Many of the Energy Considerations listed above go beyond minimum Step Code compliance and allow for optional upgrades to higher performance standards such as Passive House. The principal of Haeccity Studio Architecture is a certified Passive House Designer, and can provide this service as needed. An expandable service area off of the courtyard can also accommodate additional metering associated with rooftop photovoltaic panels or other forms of renewable energy.

Design customizability 

Key customizable features include

  1. an interior expansion zone that can be adjusted to respond to varying site widths without substantially altering the layouts, 
  2. variable exterior wall thickness to respond to different structural, insulation, and cladding approaches, 
  3. customizable roof profile to respond to different neighbourhood contexts, and
  4. discrete building volumes that can respond sloped sites by stepping at demising walls.

Bicycle parking 

Large bulk storage areas have been provided on the ground floor of each unit which can accommodate bike storage. Additional areas accessible from the courtyard can be converted to accommodate further storage of garden and recreation equipment.

Parking 

The design includes a minimum of 2 parking stalls off the lane, with the option of a 3rd. A fourth stall may be possible if a PMT is not required, and one stall could be for a dedicated car share.

Garbage storage access  

A dedicated garbage storage area located off the lane is included for ease of access and pick up.