The Four-Square – Haeccity Studio Architecture

About this design

  • Type: Fourplex 
  • # of units: 4 
  • Square footage: 7,105 sq. ft. 
  • Lot size: Medium lot (at least 50 ft. x 120 ft. or 6,000 sq. ft.) 
  • Estimated cost of construction: Starting at $2,100,000 (2024 estimates, subject to change)
  • Design ID: DL005

This efficient layout for medium lots offers four total homes in a single building with generous outdoor space. The ground-oriented units each have a separate private entrance and private outdoor area, creating a sense of individual connection to the homes while also allowing for neighbourly interactions at grade. 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, customizable unit entrances, porches and balconies, window shape and location, etc. The symmetrical layouts can easily be offset in plan to create additional articulation and privacy, or offset in height to work on 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 large backyard can accommodate a utility building for 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 form preserves energy and increases occupant comfort, and the modest punched openings balance daylighting and privacy while reducing heat loss and energy costs. Operable windows, skylights, and solar shading contribute to passive cooling, and can be adapted to specific site conditions. 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 lots as small as 48’ x 105’) 
  • Lot characteristics suitable for design: 
    • The compact building works well for short and long sites. The design can help preserve existing mature trees in the back yard.
    • Works best with a lane, but adaptable for no lane (with limited parking).
    • Adaptable to sloped sites. 
  • 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. 
  • Additional considerations for use of design: 
    • For a complete building permit application, the owner may also need to engage additional consultants, like Geotechnical and Structural engineering. Please contact Haeccity Studio Architecture for more information. 

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 to lower carbon. 
  2. Compact building form contributes 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. Plumbing locations are stacked for efficient distribution and reduced water heat loss.
  10. High ceilings and closets allow options for the location of an (75% efficient or greater) HRV system for each unit.
  11. No basements or underground parking reduces concrete and therefore lowers the carbon footprint of the building.

Privacy 

Window and porch locations have been strategically placed to maintain privacy while still allowing for neighbourliness and social interaction. 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 included 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. A dedicated electrical room at the rear 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. modular building volume that can respond to sloped sites by stepping at demising walls.

Bicycle parking 

The ample rear yard offers opportunities for a small utility structure to accommodate secure storage of bikes, and other garden and recreation equipment.

Parking 

The design includes 3 parking stalls off of the lane. A fourth stall may be possible if a PMT is not required, and one stall could be converted for an accessible stall or a dedicated car share.

Garbage storage access 

A dedicated waste management area can be located off the lane or included in a utility structure for ease of access and pick up.