Famee Furlane Senior Living
This low-rise Senior Living project is the result of our collaborative engagement with Famee and Furlane Non-Profit Organization; Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Services (ARIES) at Centennial College; Terra Power Systems Inc.; and the Pensioners Chapter. Together, this team is dedicated to exploring affordable housing solutions for seniors in a comprehensive and holistic manner.
The project reimagines senior lifestyle, health, and wellness by integrating new digital technologies, intergenerational social exchanges, suburban constraints and opportunities, and ecological awareness. Seniors and their visitors benefit from residing in a mixed-use suburban community with access to nature and essential services, fostering an active and connected lifestyle.
Given that a significant portion of the construction budget relies on fundraising, energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness are central to the architectural and engineering design. Passive design strategies, renewable resources, and sustainable energy generation are prioritized to achieve a high-performance, energy-efficient outcome.
The landscape design is essential for ensuring accessibility, thoughtfully connecting pathways, green spaces, seating areas, and amenities into a cohesive loop that promotes easy movement and fosters social interactions. Diverse surface plants, gardens, and green roofs mitigate heat island effects, reduce stormwater runoff, and enhance overall environmental biodiversity.
All-season green plants are proposed for the west side to provide wind protection in winter, while extended vegetation on the south side offers shade in summer and loses leaves to enhance solar gain in winter. Additionally, gravel or pebble pathways are incorporated into the landscape areas to create permeable surfaces, contributing to the proposed rainwater harvesting systems.
Fully accessible ramps are integrated between terrace gardens, offering various access points from landing areas. These ramps provide residents with opportunities for gardening flowers and edible plants, promoting productivity, collective work, and socializing. This outdoor feature is positioned directly in front of the units’ southern windows, creating a connection between indoor private spaces and outdoor shared areas.
In addition to the indoor pool and retail unit, new outdoor amenities include four fire pits, an ice rink, and a pickleball court, inviting neighboring suburban communities to visit the site and interact with senior residents.
The architectural design features eight modules arranged in an alternating pattern, with some extending outward as balconies while others recede. Various shed roofs are incorporated, allowing operable clerestory windows oriented toward the east to bring in morning light and enhance vertical natural ventilation in the upper units. This arrangement also provides a more generous floor-to-ceiling height for the living rooms.
This low-rise residence incorporates a series of both passive and hybrid solar strategies. During the winter, solar heating is provided by large south-facing windows, which capture sunlight to warm the interior. The thermal mass of the hollow-core concrete flooring absorbs daytime solar energy, helping to maintain the building's temperature during cold nights. The building’s compact morphology, semi-grounded basement level, and highly insulated north façade of the upper levels work together to minimize heat loss. Additionally, the exit corridors, stairs, and common service rooms are located on the north side of the building to act as a thermal buffer, providing an extra layer of defense against heat loss.
Strategically placed balconies, windows, and shading devices optimize daylighting while minimizing solar heat gain during the summer months. Additionally, natural cross-ventilation strategies enhance airflow and improve indoor air quality, further reducing energy demand and increasing occupant comfort. Green roofs provide numerous environmental benefits, including improved insulation, reduced summer heating, and enhanced biodiversity.
Integrated hybrid solar technologies, such as ground-source heat pumps (GSHP), in-floor radiant heating, and thermal energy storage, are recommended to further enhance energy efficiency. Ground-source heat pumps are specifically considered to support district heating and cooling in suburban areas. The design also includes provisions for sharing and storing heating and cooling, allowing the senior building to connect seamlessly to other heat sources or energy networks as neighboring facilities develop and become available.
The project vision goes beyond traditional senior living by incorporating a range of amenities, including a pool, a retail unit, a multipurpose room, and a common sunset balcony. These features, along with planned outdoor facilities and the existing event center and soccer court, are designed to foster intergenerational social engagement and promote a sense of community cohesion. Additionally, the interior layout of the units is designed to address mobility challenges, enhancing accessibility, safety, and comfort for seniors.
By optimizing solar orientation, the project aims to enhance occupant thermal comfort while reducing reliance on artificial heating sources. The south elevation is designed to maximize sunlight exposure for all units, especially during colder months, while it self-shades by means of balconies and support walls in hotter months. The north elevation is predominantly solid and insulated to minimize the heat loss and improve energy efficiency.
The construction system utilizes Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and hollow-core concrete slabs, focusing on materials that offer both insulation and thermal mass properties to stabilize indoor temperatures and reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling systems. Despite the high embodied energy associated with the cement industry, ICF provides excellent insulation performance, sound insulation, and a cost-effective structure. It is also relatively easy and quick to build with the appropriate skill set.
Program Summary
Building footprint: 15 x 35 sqm
6 Independent 1bd Units | 79 sqm (850 sqft)
4 Care Units | 34 sqm (365 sqft)
General Kitchen and Staff Unit | 74 sqm (796 sqft)
Retail Store | 84 sqm (904 sqft)
Multipurpose Room | 62 sqm (667 sqft)
Pool, Storage and Change Facilities | 89 sqm (958 sqft)