Show All Answers

1. Does the signed Entrance Form needs to be sent to you earlier or submitted together with the competition materials at the 1st round deadline date of September 2, 2019?

No, not earlier. They can and should be submitted together, at the same time with the competition materials, by September 2^nd. There is no need for this competition to register prior to submission.

2. Are alternative foundations acceptable?

Yes, alternatives to conventional concrete foundations (provided that they satisfy the BC Building Code) could help win more points, for example, on eco-design (if it can be demonstrated that the carbon footprint is lower) and on construction affordability.

3. Are the submitted drawings to be of mass models of different design configurations that fit the different lot and topography configurations?

Yes, that is highly encouraged to demonstrate your achievement of the evaluation criterion of adaptability to different sites. The successful designs are to be flexible and adaptable to different lot configurations and topographies of City of Nelson.

4. What is the typical size of lots, i.e. width and length, suitable for laneway houses in Nelson? What are the typical zoning restrictions, i.e. height and setbacks, for residential zones?

Lot depth is typically 120 ft. and width is often 50 to 75 feet, but we don’t have quite the same ‘typical’ lot width or configuration as other cities, which you can see by looking at the cadastral map layer (go to www.bcassessment.ca and start poking around; try 418 Robson St, 711 Regent St, or 1808 Fort Sheppard for example).

Most of the city is R1-zoned. The neighbourhood next to the downtown is zoned R3 for higher density and relaxed setback/lot coverage requirements. These are the only two zones to consider for this competition. The complete zoning bylaw and interactive webmap can be found at www.nelson.ca/zoning.

The height and setback restrictions are contained in the LWH guide at www.nelson.ca/lwh_guide/

For new single-family (principal) homes in the R1 zone:

• Lot coverage: 35% (and a min. of 30% of the lot must be permeable)
• Setbacks: 4.5m front and rear, 1.5m for side lot lines
• Height: 10 metres
• The required parking (2 spaces for a principal home, 1 for a suite or laneway house, to a maximum of 3 spaces required) can be sited anywhere on the lot (front or back), with no requirement to be paved, covered, uncovered, etc.

5. Are (semi-)covered carports included in the building footprint calculation? At which point are eaves/ roof overhangs exempt from the building footprint calculation?

Yes, any covered portion of the carport is included in the footprint calculation.

Eaves and roof overhangs are excluded from building footprint calculations, unless that overhang happens to be a carport.

6. Are design teams allowed to submit more than one design?

There doesn’t appear to be any restriction on the number of entries in the contest rules, therefore yes, we will accept multiple submissions.

7. Specific first-round submission format expectations: You state "A design board....including high-level specifications ..."

Question:

You state "A design board....including high-level specifications indicating materials used, compliance with zoning, the City's laneway house design guidelines, the BC Building Code..." for the First Round, but in the Second Round (e) is where you ask for "Specifications/stats indicating compliance with zoning, the City's laneway housing design guidelines, the BC Building Code, and other relevant information" again.

Therefore, what is the expected level of specificity in the first round? Further, is there a limit on the number of pages to be submitted? Is all information meant to be compiled on one 11x17 design board, including the written description and the minimum 1 exterior design perspective? Is there a maximum number of sheets/pages that can be submitted? Lastly, is there an expectation to submit based on various site conditions and zoning (R1 and R3?)

Answer:

• Specificity for round one: by “high-level” we mean confirmation that it meets the building code (if not, how so). For zoning: key statistics (height, building footprint, gross floor area). For the design regulations, confirmation that they are met and any necessary explanation where it may not be obvious that they are met and/or jot-points providing basic details on how more abstract concepts are met (e.g. neighbour privacy, sustainability, visual interest).
• Length: it is all to fit onto the design board, except that the written description (point 5.d; between 200-1,000 words) will be separate from the design board. There is no minimum or maximum text for the design board.
• Zoning: as stated in point 1 of the design parameters on page 5, just R1 should be taken into account. As per point 7(c) and evaluation criterion #4, yes, various adaptability to the site conditions that are typical for Nelson (esp. topography) is expected.

8. At what point will you determine whether you have enough submissions go move forward vs extending the contest deadline in the hopes of garnering more submissions?

We expect most people to submit at the last minute, on September 2^nd, therefore that decision would be made on September 3^rd. Based on the number of inquiries, I would be surprised if we felt we needed to extend the deadline, but of course we cannot close that door quite yet.

9. Is an eave/roof overhang over entrances ...

Is an eave/roof overhang over entrances/porches/steps/patios/decks under 0.6m from grade part of the building footprint?

No, they are not part of the building footprint. In fact, the building footprint excludes eaves, open air porches, balconies, open air decks, and exterior stairways altogether, regardless of height (see definition of “building footprint” in the Zoning Bylaw).

10. Would you kindly clarify if this is an AIBC sanctioned “competition”?

AIBC (Architectural Institute of British Columbia) has, in writing, reviewed this competition and approves it for participation by its members, as well as designers.

11. Gross floor area, registration form, and image submission ...

Questions:

01. What height of a sloped ceiling is consider to be included in the "Gross floor area"?

02. How, and when, do competitors "complete and sign the entrance and declaration of ownership and rights form"?

03. Also, can you please clarify your posted answer (2nd bullet) to question #7 online?

Your answer states:

"Length: it is all to fit onto the design board, except that the written description..."

However, under Submission Requirements and Rules; 5c states:

"In addition to inclusion in a design board, any images shall be submitted separately in .jpeg or similar format; one version high-resolution and another low-resolution version that is easier to email."

The word "images" is plural.

This rule seems to allow additional images and pages to be submitted. If so, is there a limit?

Answers:

Gross floor area: the definition thereof in the Zoning Bylaw excludes crawl spaces, subdecks, carports, and parking garages from counting towards GFA. The minimum ceiling height is 1.95 metres. Below that, it is considered a crawl space.

The entrance form is to be submitted with the first-round submission, thus before September 2^nd.

Apologies for the confusion. All images submitted are to fit onto the design board and be included on the design board. We are simply asking that you send along those same images in JPEG format, as well.

12. Design boards, Step Code, minimum height, modifications ...

Q:

1. Is the 11x17 ‘design board’ strictly a 1 page document, or can there be multiple design boards?

2. How should the written statement be submitted with the submission, as it is to be separate from the 11x17 ‘design board’?

3. Design Goals of Sustainability: In respects to BC step-code; “To comply with the BC Energy Step Code, builders must use energy modelling software and on-site testing to demonstrate that both their design and the constructed building meet the requirements of the BC Energy Step Code.”
4. 
   
   1. What are these specific softwares
   2. Are these softwares required for the competition
   3. Citing: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/construction-industry/building-codes-standards/energy-efficiency/energy-step-code
5. What is the minimum height of a laneway house? 

4. 
   
   1. Max: 5.8m
   2. Max above garage house: 6.m
   3. Building footprint considerations for over 4.5m
   4. Building footprint considerations for under 4.5m
   5. No reference of minimum height in building how-to guide
5. Lot area vs. lot coverage?

5. 
   
   1. Generally building footprint should not exceed 8% of lot area
   2. When adding LWH max lot coverage of your property must be between 35% and 40%
6. Is a parking spot(s) required to be shown on the site plan? As per the City of Nelson Laneway House Guide, ‘In general, a laneway house requires one additional parking space over and above the parking requirements for the existing house.’
7. Can the shape of the 1^st round proposal be altered in the 2^nd round of submissions, as long as the original intent of the proposal is maintained?
8. Above-garage residences; is this ‘on top of’ existing garages or in addition to all existing structures on site?

A:

1. Just one design board for the first round.
2. Yes, the written description (between 200 and 1,000 words) is to be separated from the 11x17 design board.
3. The City of Nelson has adopted Step 1 of the Step Code, and it should be expected that over the lifespan of the winning designs, that at least Step 3 will be adopted. Additionally, the competition itself favours designs that have the ability to meet higher steps. How the Step Code is operationalised is a provincial matter, not municipal. Energy advisors (https://energystepcode.ca/energy-advisors/) are the type of professional retained to model a project. We recommend reading some of the guides on the provincial website (https://energystepcode.ca/for-industry/).
   
   For the purposes of the competition, there is no requirement to use any specific software, but entrants do need to have a basis for believing that their design will be capable of achieving a given step post-construction.
   
   According to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association director, the one Nelson-based energy advisor can be contacted here: www.3westbec.com .
4. There is no minimum height, although they of course have to meet the BC Building Code’s minimum ceiling height (2.1m).
5. Sorry for the confusion. In those two sentences, lot area has the same meaning as lot coverage.
6. No. If your design does not incorporate built-in parking such as a garage, there is no advantage or disadvantage to including it on a site plan.
7. Possibly. The Call for Submissions states that second-round submissions can include “updated first-round contents, if necessary”. The Design Review Panel is permitted to provide feedback to those entering the first round, so that would certainly be a valid reason to make modifications. We would advise you to be cautious in any changes that might not sit well with the Design Review Panel.
8. “Above-Garage Suites” are a subcategory of “Laneway Houses”. They can be existing or can be built new as an above-garage suite. Note that the definition in the Zoning Bylaw doesn’t in fact limit the suite to being “above” the parking area. Due to topography, Nelson has at least one example of a structure approved as an “above-garage suite” that is actually an “above-suite garage”. Theoretically, there could be both a garage and an above-garage suite on a property, as long as lot coverage is respected.

13. Local Entries

Q:

On page 4 of the brief it notes that one of the top three prizes will be designated to a local submission. Does this mean that local entries are preferred or are required for the competition award to move forward? Are other teams from out of province welcome to submit or is this intended to be a regional competition?

A:

Entrants from across Canada are welcome to participate. The paragraph you are referencing says that if there are at least three entrants from the region, then the Design Review Panel will be “expected to” designate at least one regional entrant. Therefore, the competition does not require any local entries, but if there are multiple local entries, assuming that they are quality entries, the Design Review Panel will be encouraged to give one of them extra consideration. It would be inaccurate to state that local entries are preferred. Ultimately, the Design Review Panel has discretion and is not required to aware a prize locally.

14. Questions on drawing types

Q:

1. Would it be possible to include diagrams on either the design panel or with the written description to illustrate the concept?
2. Would a 3-D isometric drawing, that is a bird's eye view, be acceptable as a perspective drawing? This kind of drawing can show more of the site.
3. There is no mention of sections for either First Round or Second Round submissions. Sections are a useful was to illustrate space, height, relationships, etc. Could sections be included in the Second Round?

A:

1. On the design board, yes.
2. Yes, absolutely. Section 5(b) of the first round submission requirements is quite open to any kind of drawing or rendering, as you see fit.
3. As you point out, we did not require them, but yes they could certainly be included.

15. Evaluation criteria, costs, and floor plans

Q:

1. Page two of the Call for Submissions states that first round submissions will be evaluated based on "concept, costs, performance, and design interest." Will these four criteria have a weighted value for each or are they general in nature?
2. If costs are evaluated to determine winners, especially in the first stage, how will costs be verified? Affordability may be easier to quantify in round two once designs and materials are more precisely established but how so in round one?
3. Page two also says only exterior drawings are required for round one. Can floor plans also be submitted?
4. Is the submission to include only one 11x17 design board or can there be multiple 11x17's?Can they be submitted in either landscape or portrait format?

A:

1. The sentence you are pointing to is not the evaluation rubric; just a mere introduction/summary. Please instead refer to the last page of the Call for Submissions to see the evaluation criteria. Each will be given equal weight.
2. Indeed, in round one we do not expect to verify or audit costs. Rather, it is up to entrants to convincingly articulate how the “Affordability” evaluation criterion is being met. What does the design do to keep both construction and ongoing upkeep costs relatively low? Numbers and percentages may be included, if desired. The Design Review Panel may choose to direct specific feedback or questions to those entrants who continue on to the second round.
3. In round one, you are limited to the one design board to be able to include drawings. You are free to include floor plans if you so choose, but not to the detriment of clearing representing the exterior and building envelope.
4. Only one design board per entry. Landscape or portrait.

16. Inclusion of technical details; site selection ...

Q:

1. One of the requirements is to have a presentation board of 11 x 17 for showing the design. We were curious if we also provide a pamphlet of more of the technical details like building code, Bylaw, Step Code, etc. We feel that if we provide all this text information on a design board it will really draw out the impact of what we want to do.
2. For the site, is it required to choose a specific site in Nelson? We are just choosing a typical 50' x 120' lot in an R1 Zone.
   
   

A:

1. Unfortunately, for the first round, it is necessary to contain your submission to the design board and the 200-1,000-word written description. That kind of pamphlet can be included in the second round. In this first round, the Design Review Panel is not seeking too many technical details, but rather, reassuring the Panel that the concept is technically feasible and meets the evaluation criteria. It is important to communicate the impact of what you want to do, but it will be necessary (at this stage) to focus on key highlights.
2. There is no requirement to choose a specific site. What’s important is to design to maximise the design’s applicability to as many lot configurations as possible.