Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Competition 

The District of Squamish is hosting an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Design Competition. The competition is one of the actions outlined in the Squamish Housing Action Plan Overview and is funded by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation Housing Accelerator Fund, a Federal grant program that was awarded to the District of Squamish in January 2024.

The purpose of the design competition is to raise awareness around the benefits of ADUs as one way to address Squamish’s housing shortage and encourage housing variety and affordability. The design competition also aims to inspire homeowners with examples of ADU’s that can be built across the community in a range of locations and situations. In addition, the intention is to reflect potential ADU opportunities with more relaxed zoning regulations in line with guidelines recommended by the Province of British Columbia as part of the small-scale multi-unit housing initiative.

Design Competition Categories

There are three design competition categories:

1. Carriage House
2. Elevated Cottage
3. Front Yard ADU

In addition to receiving a cash award, the winners of the competition will be credited with the design of Pre-Reviewed Plans which are recognized as being appropriate for use in specific neighbourhoods of Squamish, depending on the flood characteristics and Flood Construction Levels. Building permit applications that are submitted for Pre-Reviewed Plans will be placed in a priority sequence ahead of other ADU and suite applications; in the future, a reduction of building permit fees will also be considered for these plans. These Pre-Reviewed Plans will be identified in District information regarding ADUs as well-thought-out designs for Squamish properties; the intention will be to connect property owners with designers of Pre-Reviewed Plans who will have the opportunity to sell those plans to a broader customer base.

Design Competition Timeline

• Early March 2024 | Design Competition Period Begins - Details about the ADU Design Competition will be released on squamish.ca. District staff will conduct outreach and invite architecture firms and designers and other organizations to submit proposals.
• April 11, 2024 | Expression of Interest Deadline - Parties who enter the design contest must register their interest in participating via email to planning@squamish.ca.
• April 11, 2024 | Questions of Clarification Deadline - Participants may submit clarifying questions regarding the contest via email to planning@squamish.ca. Answers to questions will be posted on a FAQ page at squamish.ca.
• May 23, 2024 | ADU Proposal Submission Deadline - Submissions for ADU proposals will close on May 23, 2024 at 5 p.m.
• June 20, 2024 | ADU Design Judging - Members of the District of Squamish Advisory Design Panel will review and score proposals based on the scoring criteria included in this document. Winners will be selected at the June 20, 2024 Advisory Design Panel meeting.
• June 27, 2024 | Competition Winners Released - Winning designs will be displayed on the District of Squamish website for public review.

Awards - $5,000 First Place Prize for Each Category

First, second, and third place winners for each of the three categories will be selected by members of the District of Squamish Advisory Design Panel on June 20, 2024.

• First place winners for each of the three categories will receive a cash prize of $5,000.
• Second place winners for each of the three categories will receive a cash prize of $1,000.
• Third place winners for each of the three categories will receive a cash prize of $500.

First, second, and third place designs will be identified as Pre-Reviewed Plans and promoted as award winning designs, both through District of Squamish social media announcements related to the design contest, and within District of Squamish information about ADUs. Members of the public will have access to contact information for the designers of the Pre-Reviewed Plans for each of the categories.

Ownership of the Pre-Reviewed Plans will be retained by the designers, who will be able to sell the designs to members of the public interested in building those ADUs.

Benefits of Participating

• Design promotion in District information about ADUs with contact information for the architect/design team.
• Recognition of winning designs as Pre-Reviewed Plans which are:
• Identified as suitable for use in specific areas of Squamish.
• Eligible for priority building permit processing.
• Under future consideration for reduction in building permit fees.
• Involvement in supporting innovative, diverse and attainable housing within the District of Squamish.

Download the ADU Design Competition Brief

Show All

Participation

• I’m very interested in the ADU competition for the district of Squamish, and I want to ask if non-Canadian citizens can participate?

  The contest is restricted to BC residents. Non-Canadian citizens who live in BC can participate.

Submissions

• We understand 1-3 pages are permitted for the drawing package and that this is meant to include a site plan, floor plans, elevations, and renderings. Is it acceptable to include renderings/visual material in the narrative package?

  Renderings and visuals may be included in the narrative package.

• Is there a page maximum on the narrative package?

  There is not a page maximum on the narrative package.

• Are annotations on plans permissible?

  Annotations to the plans are permissible.

• As I am expressing my interest in more than one category, am I able to potentially put in a third application (Category 1: Carriage House) if I find myself having the capacity?

  Yes, you can submit to all categories.

• Also, in addition to this, If I find myself not being able to complete the two options I have expressed interest on, will this be an issue if I just send one in? Essentially, as I am applying to submit a proposal, is there a cap on the number of proposals

  There is no cap on the number of proposals, and if you are not able to submit a design there is no penalty.

• Do I need to specify which Category I will be submitting or can I simply submit for each category prior to the May 23 deadline?

  District staff would appreciate advance notice of what categories you intent to submit to; but it is not a requirement.

• What is the total submission page maximum? I see its 3 pages for the drawings but this does not include the submission

  There is not a page maximum on the narrative package.

• To what level of detail is required for the submission for the competition. As in, is it expected that the 1-3 pages for the design is focussed on conceptual / schematic design work of the house and then if the design is accepted / awarded then we are to

  A level of detail suitable for a Development Permit application is expected for submission to the design contest. Building Permit level drawings are not expected, nor is energy modeling.

• Are applicants allowed to submit more than one design for each category?

  Applicants may submit multiple designs for each category.

• Is there a page limit for submissions?

  Submission details are outlined in the design brief pdf.

• Is there a suggested scale for floor plans?

  There is no suggested scale; however, all plans should be to scale and clearly and fully dimensioned in metric.

• We recently designed and prepared permit drawings for a cool little coach house w/ garage. It has been built twice already, and our clients love it. We would like for this plan to be a part of the design competition. How do we submit it, and by when?

  Yes, it is appropriate to submit previous designs if they align with the design competition guidelines.

• Will construction drawings be required only if the design is selected?

  Construction drawings will not be required as part of this contest.

• Will you have a FAQs page on the competition page of all questions that have been asked and answered by other applicants?

  Yes

Zoning Regulations / Design

• Is there a requirement for minimum distance between buildings? (ADU in the back, what is the minimum distance from the main house).

  ADU design must meet BC Building Code regulations. There are not zoning bylaw restrictions on proximity of ADU to a principal building.

• Cottage - In the screenshot below, it shows the principal dwelling unit is located 17m from the rear lot line. Are the setback requirements offset from within the principal dwelling unit? Am I able to change the orientation of the building as long as it i

  The setback requirements are from the property boundaries, irrespective of the location of the principal building on the property. The orientation of the principal building must remain as depicted as it represents a typical orientation of an existing home in areas of Squamish.

• Can you confirm that Category 1 Carriage House is the only one that requires a garage, and if a garage for the Front Yard ADU is optional?

  This is correct. The Carriage House is expected to be located above a garage. Front yard ADUs may be located above a garage, but it is not a requirement.

• I was wondering if there are specific requirements when working with sea containers? If so would you be able to send me anything I would need to know if choosing to use this to build with.

  Structural engineering is required when constructing dwelling units out of sea cans.

• For the Front Yard ADU, is the Rear Setback considered the distance from the back of the ADU to the Principal Dwelling?

  No, there is no minimum distance between ADUs and principal dwellings in the Zoning Bylaw; however, designs must meet BC Building Code requirements. The rear yard setback is included for context but is likely not relevant to this category.

• Are mechanical spaces permitted on the first storey level of a dwelling units built above garage (carriage house). In other words, is a non-habitable mechanical room allowed below the required 2m FCL for carriage houses?

  Mechanical rooms can not be built below FCL.

• Does an open-air roof deck count towards max gross floor area?

  No, open-air roof deck do not count toward gross floor area.

• Is there a minimum sq.ft. for a carriage home?

  No, there is no minimum ADUs size in the Zoning Bylaw; however, designs must meet BC Building Code requirements.

• Are side yard entries permitted for carriage houses?

  Yes, a door can be located on the side of a carriage house.

• Also the front yard category, what about side yards? Has anything been opened up for homes with large side yards for ADUs?

  A carriage house or elevated cottage could be built within side yards, provided the lot configuration allows for the design to meet setback requirements. There are no specific allowances as part of this design competition.

• In the flood areas that require a garage below (Carriage Homes) could this be more of a shed/storage area instead if we were wanting to do a smaller more affordable unit in those areas? Especially with properties that also do not have as much space?

  Storage areas are not permitted below FCL.

Energy Performance

• What is the format for energy performance summary? What is expected to be submitted?

  Demonstrate that the ADU design meets the minimum prescriptive requirements of the BC Building Code 2024. We do not require a report from an energy advisor.

• To what level of detail are you looking for in terms of evaluating energy performance?

  Demonstrate that the ADU design meets the minimum prescriptive requirements of the BC Building Code 2024. We do not require a report from an energy advisor.

Cost Estimates

• One question I have is about the cost analysis and breakdown. Is there a standardized process you would like all the applicants to follow or is it meant to be super high level up to each designer? I noticed that the City of Quesnel, in their similar compe

  Please submit a projected cost per metre square and total project cost. Although the design brief did not originally stipulate a standard costing mechanism, this is a good suggestion and we encourage applicants to utilize the Altus Group 2024 Canadian Cost Guide.

• On that same point, in the competition overview it mentions to add in the cost of permitting. Wondering if this should be based on the current price of permitting or if there will be a pro-rated/ cheaper price for these accessory units?

  Please base permitting costs on the current fee structure.

• How detailed do the construction estimates need to be?

  Please submit a projected cost per metre square and total project cost. Although the design brief did not originally stipulate a standard costing mechanism, we encourage applicants to utilize the Altus Group 2024 Canadian Cost Guide.

Judging criteria

• Requesting clarification on aesthetics having ‘a positive impact on the community,’ please.

  Interpretation of this criteria will be up to the judges; however, the intent is that an appealing design will provide visual interest to the area.

• To what extent is landscaping considered in the judging process? Under ‘considerations’ it mentions FireSmart landscaping, for instance – would a good submission take great care in evaluating landscaping as a part of the overall design? This feels like a

  Landscaping is not expected to be a consideration in judging and is indeed a separate scope. However, if depicting landscaping, it would be appropriate to depict FireSmart landscaping elements.

Pre-Reviewed Status

• Can more information be provided around the format and long-term plan for the pre-approved plans? Specifically, we’re wondering: How the plans will be displayed at the District office?

  The plans will be considered ‘’pre-reviewed’ rather that “pre-approved”.

  Plans will be displayed on a dedicated webpage on Squamish.ca. References to ADUs on the Squamish website will promote the award winning pre-reviewed plans and include a link to the page of award winners. In addition, the page will be promoted across social media channels at the conclusion of the design contest.

• What information will be available to the public as a part of the pre-reviewed plans? Will each component of the submission (e.g.: narrative, etc) be included for public viewing?

  The intent is to make the entire submission package available; however, the applicant can request which items are and are not made available.

• For what duration are they anticipated to be made available?

  The intention is to keep the award-winning plans available on the website for the foreseeable future, provided the designer is supportive. There are no plans to remove the plans at a given date.

• Is the costing information associated with the pre- reviewed plans able to be updated over time as inflation, material, and labour costs evolve?

  Staff would be happy to update the costing information if submitted by the designer.

• Is there a specific plan in place for the reduction of permit fees associated with the pre- reviewed plans?

  Staff intent to consider opportunities for reduction of fee permits in the year after the contest.