Kits Court Veterans Housing

Location

Vancouver, BC

Kits Court, completed in 1995, was the fourth in a series of veterans replacement housing projects commissioned by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The building represents the culmination of an extensive participatory design process with building residents. Numerous workshops were organized to ascertain the concerns and preferences of residents, enabling them to maintain a proactive role in the design and development of their new home.

Ageing-in-place features are incorporated throughout the building to address many of the complex issues associated with the changing needs of an elderly resident population, without feeling institutional.

The urban design of the project is characterized by three south facing landscaped courtyards along 4th Avenue. From the perspective of the development permit negotiations with the City of Vancouver, the provision of these courtyards permitted a number of beneficial relaxations in the zoning bylaw, including allowable building height and setbacks.