RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DESIGN
SITE CONDITION
Location: 37 Bulwer St, Toronto, ON M5T 1A1
Category: Residential building/ Refurbishment
Surrounding Condition: The original building, facing a spacious street and backed by another structure, experiences minima disturbances from passersby, with vegetation situated to the site's north and south. Opening windows on both the building's north and south sides enhances the view, offering clients a better landscape experience.
Original building condition: The current structure fails to accommodate the client's mobility requirements due to the absence of accessible elevators or ramps. Moreover, the floor heights pose challenges, impeding the client's ease of movement within the space. Additionally, the inadequately sized windows result in insufficient indoor lighting, failing to fulfill the client's desire for outdoor views.
Client requirements: The client is a 40-year-old bicycle race driver, who is single and mostly healthy but has a spinal cord injury causing paraplegia. He uses a wheelchair and relies on his upper body strength. Living with a caregiver, he enjoys peaceful scenery and values privacy and independence. Despite his injury, he wants to be treated normally and prioritizes both physical and mental health. He prefers not to be bothered by strangers. He's looking for a living space that accommodates his need for speed and distance, customizes equipment for his disability. and arranges spaces for his comfort and privacy.
MODEL
SITE MODEL
CONCEPT MODEL
DESIGN DIRECTION
Statement of intent: The concept of this project came from Corbusier quotes. "A house is a machine for living in." The concept of this project is to create a living machine specially designed for a paraplegic racer, The functional living areas will be distributed along the exterior walls of the building to enhance the mobility of the space and make it easier for the guests to move around the house. in addition to satisfying the living needs of the client, the psychological needs of the client will also be considered in the design. Enough space for activities and open space that can see the change of seasons are essential for this project because open space for activities helps the client's mental and physical health.
Concept of refurbishment: The refurbishment concept aims to enhance the existing structure by contrasting the old building with the new addition, enriching spatial mobility and offering improved views while meeting specific client needs.
