This multi-plex project consists of four residential units designed with an emphasis on sustainability and affordability. Built to Passive House standards, the structure has an efficient form factor, increased insulation and air tightness and passive solar gain that minimizes energy consumption while taking advantage of floor area exclusions available in Vancouver for Passive House projects. Prefabricated wall panels reduce construction time and material waste, while the building’s design uses less concrete and fewer materials overall resulting in a smaller carbon footprint. The reorganization of units maximizes exposure to direct sunlight and ensures each unit has access to generous outdoor spaces, enhancing the living environment. This thoughtful approach provides generous spaces that are environmentally friendly and cost-effective relative to a similar scale build.
Mullet-Plex is an architectural re-imagining of the idiom associated with a haircut from the 80’s: “Business in the front and a party in the back”. Instead of a description of hair length, it describes an organizational principle whereby bedrooms and generally quieter ‘business like’ spaces are located to the north side of the building where they are used more extensively at night and active, living spaces, used during the daylight hours are located to the south to take advantage of direct sun resulting in an ‘architectural mullet’ where the business happens in the front and the party happens quite literally in the back.
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