About LCCH
Our overall objective is to develop a non-profit co-operative housing and vertical farm project that embodies a set of unique philosophical principles and objectives that lower the cost of living and promote human flourishing.
Philosophical Principles
Community and Belonging:
Our design will foster a sense of belonging through communal spaces and shared experiences. We will be combating loneliness by promoting trust and connections through common causes such as nutritious food production and environmental stewardship.
We understand the importance of creating an environment where residents truly feel at home.
Common Cause and Food Production:
We are committed to integrating agriculture as a common cause into our housing project, supporting our goal of near self-sufficiency in food production. From planning food growth to cultivating soil and harvesting seeds, we will incorporate agricultural elements seamlessly. This improves the mental health of members by creating a community that looks after each other and improves the physical health of members by providing nutritious food to eat.
Biophilia and Connection to Nature:
Our design will maximize contact with nature, satisfying the human need for connection with the natural world.
With the use of natural elements, such as wood, stone, and earth tones, we will create a tranquil, cooperative, and harmonious atmosphere.
Practical Principles
Forever Building
We desire a long-lasting structure with an aspirational 200-year operational life.
Our architectural approach focuses on permanence, full life cycle and maintenance elements to ensure the building’s longevity.
Aesthetic Appeal
Our design will maximize contact with nature, satisfying the human need for connection with the natural world.
With the use of natural elements, such as wood, stone, and earth tones, we will create a tranquil, cooperative, and harmonious atmosphere.
Jane Jacobs’ Philosophy
We will encourage the “ballet of the good city sidewalk” along the building’s edges, enhancing safety, interest, and sociability. Benches, trellises, and facilitation from building edges to the street will be thoughtfully integrated to create that vibrant space that makes public streets livable.
Volunteer-Centric Approach
As a cooperative relying on volunteers, the indoor farm will be more manual labor-intensive, relying less on high tech components and systems.
We’ll incorporate features that are both functional and maintainable with community efforts.
New Paradigm Manifestation
Our design will reflect the values of common cause in community, agricultural self-sufficiency, local resiliency, and more opportunities for human flourishing. We aim for energy near self-sufficiency and a minimal carbon footprint.
The Link Between Land Use Planning, Transportation, Building Design and Climate
LCCH by Incorporating green building design, high density, proximity to transit, room for ridesharing can plan for a minimization of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. In fact, the building is planned to take CO2 enriched air made by the members living in the building and funnel it to the vertical farm where it will provide a CO2 nutrient enriched atmosphere for the plants to grow. We will use to the greatest extent possible wood-frame construction in particular Cross Laminate Timber (CLT). Wood has many public interest advantages such as lower carbon footprint and lower cost.
These savings in our not-for-profit, will be passed down to the members. It is in the public interest and the City’s interest to facilitate the move away from concrete to mass timber or CLT.
Affordability and Market Choice
The long-term vision LCCH has is to offer a permanent housing cost below comparable market housing for all members plus a limited number of RGI units that will be subsidized by LCCH. This is a triple win: 1) the City gets units that count towards its legislative requirements, 2) the City does not need to fund these RGI units, and 3) their presence allows LCCH to more likely qualify for more upper-level grant funding. Every dollar of grant funding represents a dollar for which a return on investment is not required from members thus lowering the housing charge relative to a comparable for-profit project.
“Sense of Place” and Neighbourhood Character
LCCH’s building design and concept is a unique made in Kingston vision. This uniqueness and functionality will set the “sense of place” of the neighbourhood for at least the next 200 years. Our vision is one that incorporates many worthwhile values manifested like in abstract art, in the building’s shape and design.
Furthermore, the shape and design are biophilic promoting. Meaning that the environmental cues that our species evolved to find helpful for survival and safety are incorporated so as to provide the subtle reassurances that the community is safe and members are at home.
Ease of Development in the Most Important Places
LCCH’s location at 900 Division St is an infill location. Infill locations are often harder to develop than greenfield developments. Our project is therefore much more in the public interest. Additionally, our project accurately hits each and every one of the Five Pillars of the Council Strategic Plan 2023-2026:
- Support Housing Affordability
- Lead Environmental Stewardship and Climate Action
- Build an Active and Connected Community
- Foster a Caring and Inclusive Community
- Drive Inclusive Economic Growth
In short, the outcomes that are most supportive of the public interest as identified by Council goals, policy and direction, should be the easiest to propose and achieve. Innovative climate smart and attainable housing projects can align with the city’s unique built and cultural heritage, and desired future density, by balancing design and context and creating an inviting sense of place for residents for a vibrant and sustainable future.
Limestone City Cooperative Housing Inc. (LCCH)
Limestone City Cooperative Housing Inc. (LCCH) addresses the growing and pressing need for more attainable housing in Kingston. We at LCCH offer a unique housing option for those who find home ownership financially out of reach, but who long for control and input over their living situation, or those that desire community-minded living or who seek greater food security and sovereignty or who wish to live closer to nature while enjoying city life. Our board of directors, our staff, and our members are committed to these principles and to living in the co-op when it is built.This will be our home.
The purpose of our project is to provide the best in community environment for LCCH members. The target membership and the groups with the largest housing concerns consists of:
- younger seniors (age 55-74)
- young families (age 25-44) and
- post-secondary students, entry level workers
This model aims to address the need for mixed-income, attainable housing, and offers the potential for the City of Kingston to advance its housing and climate leadership initiatives, while reflecting the basic philosophical principles and community objectives set out by the LCCH Board of Directors.On February 4, 2024, the City-owned property located at 900 Division Street was committed to the Limestone City Cooperative Housing for one year to allow LCCH to develop detailed concept plans with Planetary Harvest Projects (LCCH’s design firm), arrange for financing, work with community partners, and the City to develop, a biophilic residential design and a community-first, co-op run, indoor farm.This LCCH project will not just benefit those who will eventually live in the housing co-operative; it will positively impact everyone who works or lives nearby, enjoys gardens and local amenities, or loves year-round fresh produce.
Food Production Co-Ops
Indoor and urban agriculture can build community, empower individuals with skill-sharing, and connect more people to fresh local food.2 The proposed LCCH co-op has an integrated indoor food production facility which is in alignment with the City’s Culinary Strategy and municipal guidelines for food-related activities such as farm-to-table, farmers markets and community gardens.3
The LCCH co-op will contribute to a healthy, equitable society, stimulate local economic development, food security and enhance community climate resilience.3 It is believed that the LCCH model is the first of its kind in Canada to combine co-op living with a full scale commercial indoor farm operation.
1 Density by Design: Kingston Mid-Rise and Tall Building Policy Issues and Options Report
2 https://www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/city-council/council-priorities
3 City of Kingston Climate Action Plan