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NBRS
The NBRS Journal

Project journal

Designing Housing for Families in Downtown Toronto

Lessons from FAMILY 1 are shaping NEIGHBOUR 1: seven Toronto rental homes for different stages of family life. See the idea and progress on site.

Words byNBRS

Published

Reading time3 min

Architectural rendering of NEIGHBOUR 1, a seven-home Toronto rental project
NEIGHBOUR 1, architectural rendering. The project is preparing for framing as of October 23, 2026.

With NEIGHBOUR 1, we are taking what we are learning at FAMILY 1 and asking how it can serve a wider range of households. Seven new rental homes on a tighter Toronto lot, with room for different stages of family life.

Building on FAMILY 1

At FAMILY 1, we are building five three-bedroom homes of roughly 1,300 square feet each. NEIGHBOUR 1 is a tighter lot; repeating the same plan would miss what this property can support.

Designing FAMILY 1 has meant thinking about storage, privacy between neighbours and a primary bedroom that fits a king-size bed without giving up the third bedroom. We are carrying that attention to everyday life into a different mix of homes at NEIGHBOUR 1.

Room for different stages of life

NEIGHBOUR 1 is planned as seven homes, from 500 to 1,400 square feet, with one to three-and-a-half bedrooms. Smaller and larger households need different kinds of space, and those needs can change over time. A range of homes on one street could offer more ways to stay close to the places and people that matter.

Homes
7
Size range
500–1,400 sq. ft.
Bedrooms
1–3.5

A first place together. Room for a child. A smaller home when the extra bedrooms are no longer needed. The aim is to give people more choice as life changes, without making leaving Toronto the default.

On site: preparing to frame

As of October 23, 2026, NEIGHBOUR 1 is past demolition and foundation forming. The team is preparing to frame. These three views show the site and the work leading up to that next stage.

  1. Cleared rear portion of a Toronto lot between fences and neighbouring buildings, with trees beyond
    The rear lot shows the site conditions the design must work within.
    Demolition complete

    Work with the lot

    The space between neighbouring buildings makes every part of the plan matter: where the homes sit, how people enter and how the site functions around them.

  2. Crew working among timber concrete forms at NEIGHBOUR 1
    Concrete formwork at NEIGHBOUR 1.
    Foundations formed

    The foundations take shape

    The footings and foundations are formed, and private-side water service is installed. The team is now preparing for the structure above.

  3. Construction drawings being reviewed over timber forms on the NEIGHBOUR 1 site
    Drawings reviewed on site as the team prepares for the next stage.
    Next: framing

    Prepare to build upward

    The drawings and site work now meet at the next step. The team is preparing to frame the seven homes.

Our ambition is for families to be able to look for their next home in Toronto, close to their schools, friends and daily routines. NEIGHBOUR 1 is a small part of that work: seven homes, designed for more than one way of living. What we learn here will help shape what we build next.

Explore the homes planned for NEIGHBOUR 1.