The City of Nelson, in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, is launching an open, two-round laneway house design competition. The objective is to generate high-quality, pre-reviewed laneway house building plans that will offer exceptional value-for-money for homeowners and make it easier for them to build a laneway house on their property, thereby increasing uptake of laneway housing.

The Design Review Panel is composed of five members, including Ross Chapin (the author of “Pocket Neighborhoods”, Washington State), Damon Hayes Couture of Studio North (Calgary), and Jake Fry of Smallworks (Vancouver).

We invite all designers, architects, and student teams with an interest in urban infill and laneway housing to enter. This is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in this growing housing market.

A further challenge of architectural interest is the topographical element, as much of Nelson sits on a steep hill. We are soliciting designs that respond to this topography. This competition will therefore also be of interest to designers working in other hilly and mountainous urban environments.

Three designs will be selected and awarded cash prizes. Designers will also receive a royalty of $1,000 each time the plan is purchased by a homeowner. Purchasers seeking site-specific modifications will be encouraged to consult the original designer, which would thus generate new work opportunities.