Proposal

GROW Housing, currently a conceptual proposal, seeks to establish a new model for urban development - one which utilizes an innovative sustainable design strategy to facilitate the creation of affordable housing. The model was developed to mimic the cyclical flow of resources exhibited by the natural world. To create this system, a vertical farm, Living Machine®, and methane digester have been merged with a residential development providing housing for 1,000 residents.

To read the full proposal - view pdf

To find out more about vertical farms read this paper by Gord Graff - view pdf

Site Background

Located just east of Toronto’s downtown core, Moss Park is bordered by Queen Street, Jarvis Street, Shuter Street, and Sherbourne Street. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most eclectic neighbourhoods in Toronto’s urban tapestry. High-end stores, art galleries, and restaurants intermingle with all the illegal activities that typify economically downtrodden urban areas. Moss Park was originally the heart of Toronto’s industrial area. The tightly packed tenement houses that characterised the neighbourhood were cleared during the urban renewal programs of the 1950s and 60s, mostly replaced by large towers surrounded by green space - the infamous modern planning typology.

By the 1970s, the complete de-industrialization of the area rendered the Moss Park
neighbourhood as one of the poorest in Toronto. Over the years, the city’s social and
temporary housing initiatives slowly accumulated in the neighbourhood due to the affordable land and central location. Drugs, theft, and prostitution have become common sights around the park for decades, though recent actions taken by the residents, business owners, and Toronto Police Department have improved matters.

Mere blocks from the financial district, St. Lawrence Market, and the Eaton Centre, Moss Park is an ideally located neighbourhood. As a result, the wider community has experienced considerable gentrification over the past few decades. Properties in nearby Corktown and Cabbagetown have recently become in high demand, and former industrial structures such as the Distillery District have been converted into trendy lofts and fashionable shopping areas.

The park has one of the few baseball diamonds with lights in the downtown core, as well as a heavily used hockey arena and recreational facility that generate considerable activity. The building site, which is on the west side of the park, is currently consumed by the Moss Park Armoury. The Armoury is currently home to several Canadian Forces units. It is proposed that these units be relocated to Downsview Park or some other suitable facility. The considerable set-back and stark facade are completely disproportionate to the human-scale, and greatly deteriorate the street life in the area. Furthermore, the prominent barb-wire fence separating its lawn from that of the park is a visual eyesore that creates the ideal setting for drug deals and gang loitering to take place. Its extreme low density completely under-utilizes the accessibility of the site, which includes being directly on the streetcar line and a short walk from the Queen Street subway station. All-in-all, the Armoury contributes very little to a community that is in dire need of a positive intervention.