Location: Toronto, ON
Architects: Williamson Chong Architects
Date of completion: 2015
OAA Awards 2016 Design Excellence Finalist

Located on a corner lot of Toronto’s Chinatown, the Grange Triple Double is a multi-unit, multi-generational housing prototype that stacks together rental units, a bed-sitting room, and a single family home to produce an ingenious response to today’s challenging housing market. The project recognizes the latent possibilities for intensification in Toronto’s urban fabric, uncovering opportunities in existing municipal by-laws and maximizing the site’s potential.

Drawing Courtesy of Williamson Chong Architects

At the heart of the project is the coming together of two households: a professional couple with a young son, and their parents downsizing after becoming empty nesters. The grandparents embrace the security of being looked after as they age while the couple is afforded a single family home in a city that is rapidly becoming unaffordable to young families. The project is further enhanced by a ground floor and basement rental unit which allows the family to generate additional income.

Photo Credit: Bob Gundu

In order to accommodate for the changing needs of the family and maintain the independence of each unit, the building is organized into a number of shared but discrete spaces. Carefully placed millwork components can be removed in the future to connect the units and allow for different living arraignments. The extended family shares a ground floor courtyard where the cooking and living spaces spill out onto the deck. Each family member also has a large private terrace above grade while the rental apartment has a front yard enclosed by a dense hedge.



The project creates a unique form for multi-unit housing that would not have been possible without the profound engagement of the client and the opportunities discovered in the city by-laws. It is a ‘proof of concept’ that increased density can feel expansive and not preclude large vibrant outdoor spaces.

To view the complete submission, including additional images and drawings, please click here.

This post (8/20) is part of the OAA Awards 2016 Design Excellence Finalists blOAAg series celebrating the best of Ontario architecture. Every day during the month of March we will be posting a new finalist. You can view all posts by clicking here. Winners will be announced April 1, 2016.