They say good things come in threes, and Jeff Wong, Jimmy Lin and Julia Lok would probably agree. The siblings recently collaborated to build a trio of modern townhouses on a triangular lot in Kensington, Calgary, gifted to them by their mother.
The ambition was to create something architecturally striking while also being fair and equal to all three in terms of floor-space and design. Then, in the spirit of sibling fairness, they drew straws to determine who would get the keys to which property.
"I guess that probably is pretty unusual," Mr. Wong admits, "but it was the easiest and fairest way to decide who would live where."
Mr. Wong now lives in the middle townhouse with his wife, Joelle, and their two children. To his left is his brother, Jimmy, and Jimmy's girlfriend, Jenny Cam. The property to his right is rented out by his sister, Julia, and her husband, Caleb.
Located at the end of Gladstone Road NW, their lot backs onto Kensington Road and has a prime location at the heart of one of Calgary's best-loved inner-city neighbourhoods. The siblings spent their teenage years living in one half of a 1970s duplex there, 15 years ago. During that time, the adjoining unit was put up for sale and their mother purchased it as a rental investment, eventually moving and renting out both units.
"The old duplex was pretty awkwardly placed on the lot and the space wasn't utilized very well. We knew there was enough space for a triplex, we just didn't know how it would fit given the unusual shape of the lot," Mr. Wong says.
After confirming with some conceptual drawings that a triplex could work, the siblings began the process of subdividing the lot. The property is a freehold triplex, which means the middle unit required a dual-party wall agreement – a process that was more challenging than expected.
"Because the ownership structure is pretty unique, the process with the city took way longer than we thought it would." Mr. Lin says. "In the end, it was about two years before we had everything in place to start the build."
The siblings agreed on a modular design that was discreet but still architecturally striking.
With the process of subdivision complete, the family could finally move forward with the design of the three properties.
"We were all agreed that we wanted to build something modern and to a high architectural standard. This is an inner-city lot and we believe having a reputable, quality builder behind the project will make it more valuable," Mr. Wong says. "We really didn't want to build something generic or suburban-looking."
"The neighbourhood is a real patchwork of heritage and modern infill," Mr. Lin says, "so we didn't feel pressure to replace the duplex with any particular style of building, just one that was well designed."
They eventually decided on Alloy Homes; a home builder in Calgary that has been specializing in high-end modern design for 25 years.
Owner and architect Christopher Lemke says the challenge in the design lay in the siblings' desire for all three properties to be equal.
"When you're working with a triangle lot, it's very hard to create equality in floor plans. The site is a wedge, it tapers, a triangle is not equal," he explains. "They wanted equality in terms of square footage, lot sub-division and also just in terms of cool factor. Each home had to have the same level of design impact."
"The other challenge was ensuring all three units had privacy from one another with no windows overlooking the other units," he adds.
Mr. Lemke drew up two design concepts for the three siblings.
"One was the modular design we went for with three very distinct units, while the other was more like one large triangular block divided internally into three homes" Mr. Wong recalls. "We felt the modular design was more discreet and less imposing at a street level, so that's what we opted for."
The layout sees two similar townhouses side by side but with a staggered setback and a third townhouse rotated 90 degrees and facing the narrowest point of the lot. Each unit has three bedrooms on the third floor, an open-plan kitchen and living area on the second floor and a den or office space and attached garage on the ground floor. Each unit totals approximately 2,100 square feet including the basement.
Designing the triplex on Gladstone Road was challenging in part because of the lot’s triangular shape.
The project was completed in September, 2016, and was recently shortlisted as a finalist for the Canadian Home Builders' Association National Awards for Housing Excellence.
By keeping everything fair and equal throughout the project, the siblings say they've managed to undertake the project amicably.
"I'd say it was logistically difficult but manageable," Mr. Wong says with a laugh. "We managed to agree on the things we needed to agree on. I think the process might have been most challenging from our architect's perspective because he had to deal with three clients on one project."
And, Mr. Lin admits, becoming neighbours with his brother has been "one one of the best outcomes" of the build.
"It's great," he says. "We all eat together once a week, taking turns to cook. If we're running low on anything, we can just run next door and borrow. We actually wish Julia had moved into the other house, it would have been fun if all three of us were neighbours."
The siblings say living next to each other has its perks.
Ms. Lok and her husband haven't ruled out living in the property someday and admits they were tempted.
"When we were choosing the interior, it was definitely hard to know we wouldn't get to live in it," she says, "but we have three young kids and our home in University Heights has a big backyard for them."
Mr. Wong agrees that the living arrangement being next door to his brother has worked out "surprisingly well."
"They were the first to work out how to change the light bulbs in the house so they showed us how to do it," he says.
"And they babysit," Mrs. Wong adds enthusiastically, "which is awesome."