Sarah Dunn

Fascinated by the connection between human behaviour and architecture and interiors, Sarah strives to produce quality design that is prioritized around the human experience. Her goals are to create innovative designs influenced by her strong passion for sustainable design strategies. She hopes to contribute to the efforts being made by today's elite designers who consider sustainable design elements to be just as important as the aesthetics of a design. She prides herself on her natural instinct to push the boundaries of design and allows interior design to be her creative outlet.

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So|Co URBAN CO-LIVING

As we are moving away from traditional housing and more towards unique non-traditional alternatives, co-living can provide a creative solution to Toronto's housing crisis. So|Co is a co-living residence where people in need of affordable housing rentals can call home.

So|Co was designed as a pilot project to be submitted to Toronto Mayor John Tory’s Ideas Competition - a design initiative that welcomes Toronto's design community to submit their designs for low-rise buildings combating Toronto's housing crisis. So|Co showcases how urban co-living can be successful with a diverse demographic. This design is catered to three specific demographics: The Post Grad, The Aging Able Generation, and The Lone Parent Family, with the intent that this design strategy could later be applied to either a singular demographic or various combinations.

The affordability of So|Co is what attracts Torontonians, but the benefits of the social environment is what keeps them.

So|Co URBAN CO-LIVING

Rationale and Design Narrative

Toronto is battling an affordable housing crisis with rental vacancies lowering yearly and rent rising at an alarming rate. According to the United Way “Toronto is the poverty capital of Canada with one in seven residents currently struggling to make ends meet.”

The purpose of this study was to answer the question “How can co-living residential buildings in urban centres sustainably and inclusively support diverse communities that are in need of affordable housing rentals?”.

This study looked at co-living as a creative way to combat the housing crisis in Toronto. It tested the theory that designing a built environment that fosters a highly social atmosphere, can be beneficial to the well being of the co-living user by creating a sense of community. This proposed pilot design is an example of how co-living communities can be implemented into adaptive reuse buildings in Toronto. Which can provide affordable housing for those 116,317 residents who are struggling.

Design Connection to Research

Evidence based design was used to justify design decisions to create the best possible environment for the targeted demographics. The findings from the study provided conclusive evidence on several topics. These topics were broken down into the specific needs of each demographic as well as general needs for all living in So|Co. The following design strategies were implemented and were based on the evidence found in the study.

Building a sense of community through socialization.Introducing casual collision points and clusters throughout which promote conversation and build relationships. Creating a balance of private and public spaces to accommodate the needs of each demographic. Providing multi-functional areas for community integration within the residence extending out to the surrounding neighbourhood. Biophilic & radial architectural design strategies help enhance and foster a sense of community. Financially accessible and sustainable design strategies through careful selection of materials and finishes, the use of adaptive reuse buildings and efficient space planning.

Character of Space

Research concluded that the socialization element of co-living was the foundation for its success. Studies of modern co-living as well as the co-living origins in Denmark proved that co-living communities that applied strong socialization efforts achieved a strong sense of community which resulted in residents reporting high levels of overall well being.

Multiple case studies and digital investigations were completed to explore how socialization would be incorporated into So|Co in macro and micro scales. Various macro and micro forms were implemented using voids, sunken levels and dining options.

Voids were used in a macro scale to create entrance thresholds as well as the atrium, and in micro scales with built-in nooks. Sunken levels were included into the design to create a grounded and comfortable environment that fosters socialization. The dining spaces were broken up into macro and micro clusters to provide various social dining options.

Program Consideration

The design objectives for So|Co were based from the evidence collected in the research study portion of the project. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was analyzed and compared to the findings of the study to create a co-living hierarchy of needs that applied to the targeted demographics. The hierarchies tiers consisted of: physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love needs, esteem needs and self actualization needs.

By developing a co-living hierarchy of needs, programming considerations were extracted from the findings which included flexible and multi-functional amenities. Social environments, work space and lounge areas. Accessibility throughout to accommodate everyone throughout the length of their stay. Child friendly areas throughout the space including a craft zone, lounge, game room and outdoor green space. Accommodations for potential pets including an outdoor green space and wash station. Outdoor space including community garden, walking path, dining and event space and various private and public options.