Young entrepreneur Christopher Bauer wants to help solve VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 housing crisis.
The 27-year-old draftsman launched in March 2017, a company that sells cost-effective digital layouts for homes.
Although he has yet to see one of his plans transformed into a bricks-and-mortar building, he is dedicated to his mission. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 trying to address the rental shortage side of the housing crisis,B次元官网网址� said Bauer, who is focusing on designing multi-family residential dwellings.
Initially, he targeted single-family, standalone homes but found little interest for his idea. Then, on the advice of Mayor Lisa Helps, he contacted Shayne Ramsay, the CEO of BC Housing, who underscored the need for multi-unit, multi-family apartments. Taking in this advice, Bauer reworked his offering.
B次元官网网址淢y designs now supply rental options for students, and units that can be subsidized by the government toward affordable housing for all,B次元官网网址� he said, admitting that his company is a work in progress.
B次元官网网址淲e are not planning tiny homes or huge ones, weB次元官网网址檙e somewhere in the middle,B次元官网网址� he explained, noting that his floor plans range from 480 to 3,000 square feet.
B次元官网网址淢y multi-family building can be built from a two-storey with six to nine units, up to a 10-storey with 54 to 57 units. The building design has co-housing built into it, where shared kitchens bring people from each floor together as a community.B次元官网网址�
Included in the plans are exterior and sectional layouts, along with electrical and foundation plans. Roof framing is not included, best left to an engineer, Bauer said.
Terra Floor Plans also allows for reuse of its designs at no extra cost, B次元官网网址渟o this is a good option for developers,B次元官网网址� he added.
While his designs are a less expensive option initially, he admitted they require a lengthier process to reach the final building stage.
B次元官网网址淎rchitects usually charge two to five dollars per square foot to design, engineer and get a plan ready to build. Since I canB次元官网网址檛 do this B次元官网网址� as a certified draftsman B次元官网网址� I charge 30 cents per square foot, which is still competitive.B次元官网网址�
Bauer, whose education came in environmental design at the University of British Columbia, is aware of his limitations. B次元官网网址淚 do understand architectural engineering, but I do have to get my designs signed off.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭he idea is that a person, family or developer buys the digital floor plans and takes it to a engineer, who organizes the building permits and process,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥r you can go through the City and apply for permits yourself B次元官网网址� My work is about providing more more affordable options.B次元官网网址�
Find out more about BauerB次元官网网址檚 designs at terrafloorplans.com.
anna.james@vicnews.com
