on an infill lot

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Specialized Infill Services

You see an exciting opportunity to build on a vacant or underused property within City limits. The neighbourhood is mature. The location is perfect. Maybe there’s an old home or building that needs to be demolished. No problem! You’re ready to start designing your dream home and preparing the site.

Not so fast! Building on an infill lot poses special challenges. In addition to our turnkey, one-stop Design & Build service and High Performance solutions for custom homes, OakWood provides specialized construction services to address building on an infill lot; and ensure the success of your project.

Often neighbours’ homes or other buildings are very close, in some cases built on or beyond the lot line. They are vulnerable to heavy duty construction activity and blasting. OakWood takes special precautions to ensure your project does not adversely affect the structural integrity of close neighbouring homes.

Ensure neighbouring homes are protected

Heavy construction work on your infill lot generates extensive seismic activity that exposes neighbouring homes to structural issues.

This become an even greater issue if you want to increase the ceiling height of your basement, which requires blasting and excavation of rock.

Foundations and walls of neighbouring homes can easily crack leading to expensive insurance claims and at minimum, bad neighbour relations even before you move into your new dream home.

OakWood mitigates these issues by using a seismograph to detect and record electronically the magnitude and depth of ground motion generated by blasting and excavation. The same type of device is also used by scientists to measure the depth, magnitude and exact location of earthquakes.

OakWood uses this and other specialized equipment to carefully monitor all construction activity and ensure neighbouring homes are not adversely affected by activity on your infill site.

OakWood also takes extensive safety precautions including ensuring blasting activity is conducted by persons holding a valid blast certificate, full compliance with the City of Ottawa’s blast regulations, and many others.

OakWood will prepare all applications to ensure they are compliant with City regulations and safety requirements that must be rigidly respected during demolition and removal.

OakWood will also assess the existing structure to determine the best and most cost effective method of demolition for the safe removal of an existing structure.

While mechanical demolition is most common, in some cases we recommend deconstruction, also referred to as demolition by hand. Although more labor intensive, this is a desirable approach when we can salvage many of the materials from the home.

Reusable materials may be sold to reduce the cost of your investment. In most cases we donate reusable materials to the Habitat for Humanity. That means your infill project could give a needy family the helping hand they need to build a better life.

The existing structure will also need to be inspected prior to teardown for the presence of asbestos, lead paint and other hazardous materials.

The City of Ottawa has established urban design guidelines for low-rise infill housing that will apply to your custom home design. Guidelines include the amount of landscaping, rear yard access, driveway widths, orientation of front door, and many others. OakWood’s award winning Architectural Design Team will ensure your home is fully compliant with all urban design guidelines and zoning regulations while making it look stunning.

Streetscape considerations and enriching established neighbourhoods

You can count on OakWood’s award-winning Architectural Design team to ensure your new home fits in or enhances homes in a mature neighbourhood.

In addition, we will design your new home to be fully compliant with the City of Ottawa’s Urban Design Guidelines for Development along Traditional Mainstreets, if applicable.

Mainstreets are defined as those developed primarily before 1945. They typically feature small scale buildings with narrow frontages and are set close to the accessing street. The City’s guidelines are designed to “promote development that will enhance and reinforce the recognized or planned scale and character of the streets.”

Whether your infill project is taking place on a “Mainstreet”, the City of Ottawa provides design guidelines for all infill housing with the goal of ensuring new buildings that integrate harmoniously into an established urban neighbourhood.

Start with the OakWood Infill Home Feasibility Study

The potential issues noted above barely scratch the surface of what you’ll need to consider when planning your infill project. That’s why OakWood recommends starting with a feasibility assessment to ensure your building plan gets approved and there are no surprises when it comes time to apply for permits.

An OakWood Infill Home Feasibility Study is a modest investment to ensure a custom home (or building) design that is fully compliant with all city zoning and bylaws and there are no unforeseen construction issues that could undermine the success of your project.

A modest investment to ensure a custom home (or building) design that is fully compliant with all city zoning and bylaws.

Our assessment and report include:

• Site visit to take exact measurements of the existing lot and any buildings, analyze access and setbacks, review site topology
• Architectural analysis of proposed home or building style in the context of the neighborhood
• Assessment of City amenities and utilities serving your location including electrical hook-up, water, wastewater and sewer
• Feasibility and cost of septic systems if applicable, including size location, soil suitability and other factors
• Relevant options to fully leverage your ideas and preferences and make the most out of your property
• Relevant options to fully leverage your ideas and preferences and make the most out of your property
• Home builders planning

You get a comprehensive report that ensures your dream home can be built at the infill location you want.

OakWood brings a balanced team to a Feasibility Study including Architectural Designers, Engineer, and Construction Manager.

To learn more about the OakWood Design & Build process and a Feasibility Study for your infill project, schedule a complementary consultation with an OakWood Project Consultant.

Get a turnkey solution for your infill project—from the ground-up

Whether you’re starting with a blank sheet of paper, have a custom design in mind, or are working with an Architect or Designer—OakWood provides a complete range of in-house services that span every step in the design-build process for your infill project. Material selection is conveniently under one roof at the award winning OakWood Design Centre, saving you hours and in many cases days of running around the City.

OakWood’s A to Z Custom Home Services for infill lots

• Access to a password protected VIP Client Portal to see all project documentation and real-time updates
• All product and material selection from interior to exterior conveniently from the award winning OakWood Design Centre
• Field project management of all Suppliers and Trade Partners
• Final inspection and a walk about of your new home to ensure your complete satisfaction
• Industry leading warranty for maximum peace of mind

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