The project strategy focuses on providing more safe, secure and affordable housing plus support services in response to the current homelessness situation. The McLaren Housing projectprovides housing for adults and families living with HIV/AIDS who require supports of various kinds to live successfully, creating a setting that supports and assists tenants to achieve independence through the acquisition and practice of healthy community living skills.
The building achieves LEED Gold sustainability certification. Key innovative design elements include extensive natural day lighting throughout the building including the elevator lobby and main stair.The amenity spaces are situated throughout the building to encourage a range of spaces where residents have options for social interaction including a flexible indoor amenity space and outdoor urban agriculture plots. Each building façade responds respectfully to its solar orientation. The South East bank of units is separated by horizontal louvers which protect against the higher southerly sun. These unit faces are individually angled away from south to help limit the solar gain and to lend individuality and texture to the facade. The North West units are separated by vertical louvers which protect against the more acute lower westerly sun.
The South West corner of the glazed elevator lobby is wrapped in solar thermal tubes at the upper floors. These tubes circulate water which is heated by the sun to help heat the building. In addition to this the solar tubes act as horizontal louvers which help mitigate solar gain into the building. Roof mounted air source heat pumps use the outside air as a heat source to help heat and cool the building. Heat energy from the buildings exhaust air is recovered via roof mounted heat recovery units. Outlets are provided in the parkade for electric car charging.
