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SAGE Interior Design

BC Housing Design Guidelines — Residential Unit Type Review

A standalone, paid technical review of your residential unit plans against the BC Housing Design Guidelines & Construction Standards — for architects and design teams delivering BC Housing-funded projects.

Request a Unit Type Review
  1. 01

    Save design time

    A focused review of each unit type, so the design team is not re-reading the guidelines unit by unit while the rest of the building moves on.

  2. 02

    Identify issues early

    Clearances, fixtures, storage, accessibility and adaptability requirements are checked while a unit plan can still change without redrawing the building.

  3. 03

    Reduce avoidable revisions

    Issues caught at design development are a mark-up; the same issues caught at permit review, tender or on site are a revision, a delay or a change order.

For Architects Delivering BC Housing Projects

Architects and design teams working on BC Housing-funded projects — affordable, supportive, Indigenous, seniors and transitional housing — who want each distinct residential unit type checked against the Design Guidelines & Construction Standards before the drawings advance.

SAGE's interior design and documentation work on BC Housing-related projects spans affordable, supportive, Indigenous and seniors housing across British Columbia, delivered with housing societies, architects and general contractors. That experience is what the review draws on: a unit plan is read the way a reviewer and a builder will read it, not just the way it was drawn.

The service is standalone. SAGE does not need to be the interior design consultant on the project, and the review is scoped and quoted at the outset so it fits within a project's consulting budget.

Review Process

  1. 01Send unit plans
  2. 02Review against the guidelines
  3. 03Marked-up drawings & summary
  4. 04Review call with your team
  5. 05Re-check of revisions

What Each Unit Type Is Reviewed For

  • Unit Layouts & Clearances
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms & Accessible Washrooms
  • Adaptable Unit Requirements
  • Accessible Units
  • Bedrooms & Living Areas
  • Storage, Entries & Circulation
  • Doors, Hardware & Fixtures

Housing Experience the Review Draws On

Selected affordable, Indigenous and supportive housing projects SAGE has delivered with housing societies, architects and general contractors.

Alt Lu'ma — Multifamily Residential interior design project, New Westminster, BCAlt Lu'maNew Westminster, BC
Central Green — Multifamily Residential interior design project, Kelowna, BCCentral GreenKelowna, BC
Kiwanis Lynn Manor — Multifamily Residential interior design project, North Vancouver, BCKiwanis Lynn ManorNorth Vancouver, BC
Chelsea Marine — Multifamily Residential interior design project, Vancouver, BCChelsea MarineVancouver, BC

Frequently Asked Questions About the Unit Type Review

Is the unit type review a standalone service?

Yes. The Residential Unit Type Review is offered as a standalone, paid technical review. SAGE does not need to be the interior design consultant on the project, and the review is scoped and quoted at the outset based on the number of distinct unit types.

What do we send for review?

Dimensioned plans for each distinct residential unit type — typically PDF floor plans at a readable scale — with any accessible and adaptable units identified, and the project's BC Housing program or funding stream where known.

When in the design process should the review happen?

The earlier, the better — ideally at schematic design or early design development, when a unit plan can still change without redrawing the building. A review at permit or tender stage is still useful, but leaves less room to adjust.

What do we get back?

Marked-up unit plans identifying where each unit type meets the guidelines, where it does not and what should be confirmed, with a written summary and a review call with your team. A re-check of the revised plans can be included.

Does the review cover the whole building?

The review is scoped to residential unit types. Common areas, amenity spaces and building-level requirements can be reviewed as an additional scope on request.

Have a set of unit plans that need checking against the BC Housing guidelines? Send them over.

Request a Unit Type Review
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