Toronto is experiencing a housing renaissance. When we began advocating for laneway suites in 2015, laneway houses were only accessible to people with a lot of money and expertise. Today, they are an as-of-right policy with incentives to benefit everyday homeowners. As a result, thousands of laneway suites will be constructed in the coming decades, providing housing flexibility for multi-generational families and income opportunities for new buyers trying to enter the market.[Read More…]
THE IMPORTANCE OF GARDEN SUITES
Budgeting 101: Your Financial Foundations
One of the first steps in planning your laneway suite is to establish your financial goals. At this early stage, it’s important to understand what a complete development budget will entail in order to set realistic expectations and put you in a position for a successful investment. [Read More…]
Laneway Suite Construction – Video 5
Lanescape presents its fifth episode of the laneway suite video series. Our co-founder Craig Race gives a tour of some of our laneway suite projects currently under construction in Toronto. Here we get to learn a bit about each design and get a sneak peek into how each of these projects are being built.
Stay tuned for laneway suite videos covering a wide range of topics surrounding the new typology. In the meantime, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for upcoming events, policy information, and project updates.
Subject to Interpretation: Regulatory Challenges to Laneway Approvals
Our industry relies on codified requirements to ensure our buildings are appropriate for their context, perform to minimum standards, and maintain the health and safety of occupants. Zoning by-laws, building codes and municipal regulations provide a carefully crafted framework applicable to a wide variety of circumstances while preserving design freedom and creativity.
Over the last 2 years, we have secured permits for over thirty laneway suites. Every project is different and we are always carrying forward our experiences to inform future proposals. However, implementing this new typology has illuminated several regulatory grey areas where inconsistent interpretations have created challenges in gaining approvals.
Designing at a Distance: Process in a Pandemic
Investing in your property is a big commitment. Whether during a pandemic or not, your decisions will impact your family’s life and finances for the indefinite future. What remains constant is the importance of assembling a team that you trust to both exceed your project goals and educate you in making the right decisions along the way. Like many industries, ours has been challenged by temporary closures, financial uncertainty, and remote teamwork. In this new normal, we have relied on our standardized process to ensure our level of service and schedules remain unaffected. The medium may have changed, but our message remains the same; trust and quality stem from experience, communication and enthusiasm for challenging the status quo.[Read More…]