How We Use Innovative Design to Transform Modern Living
When you think of parking stackers, devices that lift cars and allow them to be parked above one another, you probably think of the garages on some of the most expensive residential streets in the world. But there’s another place you can find them: in One Urban’s contemporary GTA communities.
This isn’t because we build mansions or homes for celebrities with massive car collections. It’s because innovative design is our key to creating functional homes that address the challenges of modern living. Here’s how we’re leveraging the power of innovative design to transform the landscape of local communities.
Innovation is at the core of our philosophy
For us, innovative design isn’t just a way to make a home look good on the outside. It’s critical for solving some of the key challenges facing our communities in the 21st century. A few decades ago, life in the GTA was very different: there were fewer people, fewer cars on the road, and more undeveloped land. Now that our population has grown dramatically, we can’t play by the same rules.
That’s why efficient building is a key component of our ONE vision, the philosophy that lays the foundation for each community we create. By augmenting traditional home-building principles with innovative design and technology, we’re able to build neighbourhoods that meet the needs of modern living. Our use of parking stackers and green roofs are just two examples of how we use innovative design to create forward-thinking communities.
Parking stackers
These days, most households own more than one car. This creates a challenge when building communities because there often isn’t enough space to give each residential unit more than one spot in a conventional parking lot or garage. In most communities, it’s up to residents to solve this problem. If you’re a condo resident, it’s your job to buy or rent another spot for your partner’s car. And if you live in a home, one of you may have to park outside year round.
Don’t think this is the best solution possible? We didn’t either. That’s when we noticed that cities like New York and LA use parking stackers to optimize outdoor public parking spaces. We figured that if stackers can increase the number of cars that can be parked in a public lot, they could do the same in a residential garage. By adding parking stackers to our residential communities when feasible, we make it possible for residents to park two cars in a single stall and access either one with the touch of a button.
Green roofs
Every building in the GTA is required to have a way of storing excess storm water to prevent flooding. Traditionally, builders meet this requirement by placing storm water tanks on properties. The problem is that these tanks take up space without adding value for residents.
Instead of relying solely on storm water tanks, we use green roofs, roofs that are covered with natural vegetation. These roofs not only create a green space for residents to enjoy but also absorb storm water. This reduces the size of storm water tanks on properties and frees up space for additional amenities, such as more parking, storage, and bike racks.
Using innovation to power thriving communities
At One Urban, we’re always looking to stay ahead of the game. By using innovative design elements, such as parking stackers and green roofs, we’re able to create functional yet comfortable communities. It’s how we bring simplicity and convenience to modern GTA living.