Ep. 617: Building a Multiplex is Complex
Guest: Bettina Balcaen & Tillie Kwan, Studio Balcaen Kwan
When the City of Vancouver approved duplexes on single family zoned properties in 2018, more than 450 property owners applied for the re-zoning in the first couple of years, according to City of Vancouver stats. When the City approved six unit multiplexes, the number of applications increased.
According to a City of Vancouver report, “Between multiplexes, duplexes, coach homes, and townhouses, the city approved over 1,260 ground-oriented homes across low-density neighbourhoods, with municipal targets continuously being surpassed.”
The zoning changes upped the value of properties and that increase makes upscaling from single-family home to multiples attractive to landowners who see a potential windfall in their property values. According to “VanPlex,” a Vancouver property-tech company, values of re-zoned properties grew by 25 to 50 percent.
“It’s an appealing idea to convert your single family home into a multiplex – that is, until you set out to navigate your way through the city’s regulatory labyrinth,” says Bettina Balcaen of Studio Balcaen Kwan, an architectural firm that has developed a road map through a maze of regulations that can make these new homes unliveable.
We invited Bettina Balcaen and Tillie Kwan to join us for a Conversation That Matters about what you need to know before you decide to tear down your house and build a duplex or multiplex.
Want to learn more about our guests?
Check out their episodes on our partnered program!
