Age-Friendly Community

proposal to
RBJ Schlegel Holdings
Waterloo, Ontario
December 2010
Butcher - Chiu - Larmour - Lee - Lee - Sun - Tang
The Groups vision is to create an age-friendly community that is self-
sustaining, fosters social cohesion, environmental sustainability, and
promotes pedestrian activity.
This age-friendly community will address the needs of Waterloos aging
population, while accommodating all other demographic groups. Strong
urban design principles have been implemented to create a sense of
place within the village for all users of the space. By incorporating these
goals, N Vision plans to achieve a complete community design.
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A large variety in both the housing stock, and range of businesses and
services is essential to accommodating a diverse population.
Considerations must be made for individuals and families of different
incomes, ages, and intent of permanence. Commercial opportunities not
only promote self-sustaining local economy, it also encourages
development of the thriving innovation scene and attracts
entrepreneurial interest. The provision of services such as health care,
recreational, and educational facilities are key components to creating a
successful community for residents and visitors to the site.
A strong sense of place is important in creating social integration within
any functioning, well-dened space. For this site, industrial and
contemporary styles of architecture have been used to create a local
character that represents both the industrial history of the Region of
Waterloo, as well as its emerging innovative identity. The fusion of the
two styles invites all demographics to relate to this Village Within the
City.
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We will promote self-sustainability through:
1. The implementation of mixed use principles, such as:

the designation of land use, which is supportive of the live, work, play
concept

the integration of residential, commercial, and institutional uses

the offering of a large housing stock variety to be inclusive of diverse family

sizes and incomes
2. the provision of space for essential amenities within the site, such as:

healthcare clinics

recreational and educational facilities

shops, services and nancial institutions

3. the provision of space for diverse employment opportunities, by:

including a variety of leasable commercial space

reducing limitations on land use and reviewing lease agreements on a case by

case basis
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We will promote social cohesion through:
1. The creation of a sense of ownership over public space, by:

allowing modication of elements by residents and the public through:

interactive installations

community gardens

displaying the work of local artists as public art installations

ensuring the accessibility of the central community core

2. The promotion of cultural inclusiveness, by:

creating a common local identity

providing dedicated space for multi-faith gatherings

creating spaces that encourage cultural events

3. The accommodation of all demographics, through:

providing a varying levels of housing affordability including subsidised and

geared to income rental units

the provision of space for interaction such as public houses, lecture halls and
all-ages recreational spaces
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We will promote environmental sustainability through:
1. Sustainable surface water treatment, such as:

on-site storm water management (treatment and reuse through grey water
systems)

permeable surface construction and materials

green roofs and softscapes

2. The inclusion of natural elements, such as:

parks

natural landscape

green corridors (ex. pathways connecting parks)

set boundaries for development

3. The promotion of resource efcient design, by implementing

self-powered outdoor lighting

passive solar heating

energy efcient HVAC systems

water efcient plumbing xtures

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We will promote pedestrian activity through:
1. The construction of an accessible network, by:

creating a dedicated pedestrian corridor

using a modied grid design for easy way-nding and connectivity

limiting vehicular access from the main pedestrian areas

promoting active modes of transportation

guiding cyclists away from pedestrians to improve overall safety

2. The consideration for human scale and rhythm, by

using horizontal and vertical setbacks

constructing buildings proportional to the street

constructing faades which add visual and functional interest (e.g., mixed uses
on the ground level with narrow frontages)

fusion of industrial and contemporary architecture

3. The promotion of community safety, by:

the implementation of CPTED principles such as:

construction of a barrier-free environments

promoting neighbourhood watch programs

constructing a built environment conducive to eyes on the street

providing adequate outdoor lighting

eliminating dead ends

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Street plants function as a barrier between
vehicles and pedestrians to provide increased
comfort and safety.
Curb bollards act as the division between the
road and the sidewalk, where a curb would
normally be built. This provides the option for
space to increase for events and to slow trafc
in the area.
On street parking provides convenient space
for people to short-term park and creating an
additional barrier between pedestrians and
vehicles.
Deciduous tree canopies provide shade
and microclimate to create a space that is
welcoming and comfortable.
Chess tables, playgrounds and picnic areas
in parks provide options for a variety of
activities which are suitable for people of
all age ranges.
Bryant Park, New York City
Downtown Kitchener
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Building materials such as limestone, brick or
clapboard gives the urban village a historical
character, and an authentic and aged mantra
that reects on Waterloos past.
Symmetry and rhythm of tree-lined
boulevards facilitate direction and ow of
pedestrian movement as well as provide
enclosure and interesting streetscapes to
the pedestrian.
Bell Trinity Square, Toronto
Bauer Lofts, Waterloo
1.Create a Complete Community
plan to provide access to opportunities to live, work, learn, shop and play in
close proximity with consideration for the changing needs of residents
throughout their lifetime
2.Comply With Universal Design Principles
design of architecture and open spaces to be broadly accessible to people of
different abilities with consideration for age, gender and state of physical,
sensory and cognitive impairment
3.Achieve A High Level of Environmentally Sustainability
mitigate the environmental impact of human activity through responsible
choice of construction materials and implementation of efcient energy and
water use, treatment, and reuse systems
4.Develop an Efcient Community Network
facilitate an efcient ow and movement of people, goods, resources and the
provision of service in the community

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1. Residential Yield
provide a minimum of 60 condominium suites at a minimum of 93 m
2
; 175
retirement home suites a minimum of 70 m
2
; and 100 long term care beds at a
minimum of 30 m
2
2. Land Area Requirements for Community Facilities
for every 275 families, provide a minimum of 11,128.86 m
2
for playgrounds;
8,094m
2
for Parks; 3238 m
2
for retail/commercial; and 1,538 m
2
for cultural/
recreational facilities
3. Parking
provide a minimum of one (1) space per condominium/single detached unit;
3 spaces per 100 m
2
of institutional building oor area (BFA);
and 4 parking spaces per 100 m
2
of commercial BFA
allot 20% of total parking spaces to accessible parking
4. Paths and Sidewalks
on-site paths must be at least 1 m in width
wider spaces for passing must be made available at intervals no less than 60 m
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MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
(OF SPECIFICATION STANDARDS)
STANDARDS MET AND EXCEEDED ON SITE
Residential Yield

60 condominium suites

175 retirement home suites

100 long term care beds

Residential Yield

74 condominium suites, total: 16,642 m

2

184 retirement home suites, total: 12,882 m

2

117 long term care beds, total: 3,512 m

2

28 townhouses, total: 12,348 m

2
Land Area Requirements for Community
Facilities

11,128.86 m
2
for playgrounds

8,093.71 m
2
for parks

3,236.49 m
2
for retail/commercial

1,538 m
2
for cultural/ recreational
facilities
Land Area Requirements for Community
Facilities

3,256 m
2
for playgrounds

11,188 m
2
for parks

6,486 m
2
for retail/commercial

8,717 m
2
for institutional (cultural/
recreational) facilities
Parking

1 space/condominium unit

3 spaces/100 m
2
of institutional BFA

4 spaces/100 m
2
of commercial BFA
Parking

75 spaces for condominium suites

370 spaces for institutional building

264 spaces for commercial/retail

28 spaces for townhouses

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MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
(OF SPECIFICATION STANDARDS)
STANDARDS MET AND EXCEEDED ON SITE
Paths/Sidewalks

1m wide on-site paths

Paths/Sidewalks

4-6 m wide on-site paths

Building Setbacks
Front yard: Minimum 6.0 m between
building and street line.
Side yard: Minimum 120 cm of side yard
and extra 60 cm for each additional storey
of the lot.
Rear yard: Minimum average depth of 7.5
m
Building Setbacks
Front yard: Minimum 6.0 m between
building and street line
Side yard: Minimum 150 cm of side yard
and extra 60 cm for each additional storey
of the lot.
Rear yard: minimum average depth of
7.5m
Frontage
Minimum lot frontage of 5.5 m for internal
lots, 11.5 m for corner lots.
Frontage

Minimum lot frontage of 5.5 m for internal

lots, 11.5 m for corner lots.
Building Heights
Townhouse Dwellings: max. 10.5 m
Apartment Uses: max. 13.5 m
All building: max. 13.5 m in height.
Building Heights
Townhouse Dwellings: 9.0 m
Apartment Uses: 13.0 m
Institutional building: 19.5 m
Continued...
Site Plan
Insrz-ici
J. Butcher | K. Chiu | K. Larmour | E. Lee | J. Lee | J. Sun | L. Tang
30 0 30 60 90 120 15
Meters 1:500
N
Mixed-use:
commercial/residential - 3
Mixed-use:
commercial/residential - 4
Residential - 4
Residential - 3
Long-term care - 4
nstitutional - 6
Residential - 3
Mixed-use:commercial/
institutional/residential - 4
Mixed-use:
commercial/residential - 4
Community garden
!
!
Commercial - 1
2
1
3
Perspective One
Perspective Two
Perspective Three
N Visions plan addresses the visual, morphological, and functional
needs of an urban village with a focus on creating an age-friendly
environment. While we are addressing the needs of older people, we are
also implementing inclusive design principles in our vision; people of all
ages will be able to use the same services at ease.
To attract varying demographics, we will promote the village as a centre
for innovation and thinking; one that also has a creative culture and
identity. Focusing on architecture and style, as well as the human-scale
ratio, we will create a village that complements the visual design
paradigm.
For a pedestrian friendly environment, we have created a street layout
with an irregular grid system which incorporates well-connected nodes,
paths, and edges. As for the functional aspect, we also took into
consideration the interaction between the different land uses:
residential, commercial, open/green, and institutional. Overall, we have
devised a vision for the Region of Waterloo that can be viewed as bold
and pragmatic.

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Photo Credits:
Bryant Park: David Wang
Downtown Kitchener: City of Kitchener
Bell Trinity Square: Kyle Larmour
Bauer Lofts: Joshua Butcher
Documents:
Waterloo Ofcial Plan: City of Waterloo
Waterloo Zoning Bylaw: City of Waterloo
Mapping:
Site Contours: Regional Municipality of Waterloo
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