Oak Bay United Church Neighbourhood Housing is an affordable housing development currently being designed by HDR. The following core principles have guided the team through the design process thus far;

• Heavily informed by the urban design parameters of the Oak Bay Design Guidelines, as well as feedback from neighbourhood open houses
• Carefully situated to maintain existing Garry Oak trees on site, which help provide a natural landscape buffer, as well as views for residents
• Responds in a sensitive and complementary way to the site’s unique context, which is directly adjacent to the existing church.
• Facilitates an enhanced public realm that prioritizes public accessibility via a welcoming entry plaza.
• Prioritizes forward thinking approaches to environmental performance, both through active and passive measures
• Includes a variety of sustainable site design strategies, including bio-swales and rain gardens to control stormwater, and highly efficient site lighting.
• Designed to accommodate a range of unit types, including both townhomes and apartments, to ensure a healthy diversity of unit options in an attractive and highly livable setting.
• All vehicular parking will be provided on the site in a below grade parking structure along with an extensive bicycle storage and support facility.