A parcel-based multiplex design catalogue

Cities across Canada are changing rules to allow for multiple housing units on lots previously zoned for single-family homes. The City of Toronto has changed rules to allow for fourplexes as-of-right, allowing an additional 5th unit as a garden suite or laneway house, and is now looking into allowing sixplexes in some parts of the city. ReHousing has mapped out the most common 1,140 lot sizes across Toronto and completed schematic designs with stair types and basic unit distribution for each lot. 17 of those designs have been refined and can be seen in detail below.

Choosing a stair is more than just a step count

The fourplex designs below are categorized based on their stair type and unit distributions: Stacked, Flats, and Scissor stairs. Stacked townhouses include 2-level units with straight-run interior stairs; Flats are one-unit per level with two sets of half-turn stairs; and the Scissor stair type includes a mix of both unit types with intertwined interior stairs providing the two means of egress. Designs correspond to the most common lot sizes in the Prewar, Postwar, and Metroburb eras of urban development in Toronto.

01 Stacked Medium

02 Stacked Large 1

Meet the Fourplexes

Each drawing in the catalogue below represents a fourplex on a parcel size commonly found across the city. When you click on a fourplex image, it will take you to a page containing measured floor plans and visualization of the proposed design.
Click Here for more information about lot sizes!

03 Stacked Large 2

04 Flats Narrow

05 Flats Medium

06 Flats Large

07 Scissor Small

08 Scissor Medium

09 Scissor Large

The Sixplex study focuses on Ward 23 - Scarborough North, within the City of Toronto. Parcels in the RD, RS, and RT zoning categories were studied and sixplex designs were tested on a range of lot sizes. Three of these schematic designs were further developed and can be found below.

03 Large            

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