The overall objective of this study was to investigate the condominium market in British Columbia with special emphasis on the metropolitan Vancouver and Victoria areas. Specifically there were four main .goals: 1) to quantify the amounts, type, and timing of condominium developments, 2) to establish a profile of condominium occupants including their socio-demographic characteristics, motivations for purchase, and their level of satisfaction with the concepts, 3) to investigate the developers of condominiums for the purpose of defining characteristics of this sector of the market and its participants, finally 4) to examine the administration and management of completed condominium projects. Several unique situations and unusual problems pertaining to condominiums were also examined. All of the data necessary to quantify the condominium market was available in the Land Registry Offices, Included in the records were the number of strata projects, number of strata units, date of registration, location, use, structure type, and the name of the developer. Transaction data concerning condominiums was also collected at the Land Registry Offices; this formed part of the data needed to construct the resale price index. The quantitative data, described above, also served as the basis for the occupants and the developers surveys. The condominium market was found to have grown rapidly since its inception in 1968. As of November 30, 1977 a total of 2340 condominium projects involving 46,411 units had been registered in the province. Of these 94.8% of the projects and 94.0% of the units were strictly residential. This represents a significant force in the housing market as condominiums in 1976 accounted for 26.2% of all housing starts and 57.9% of all multi-unit housing starts in the province. Geographically the condominiums were concentrated in metropolitan Vancouver (65.6% of all units) and metropolitan Victoria (11.9% of all units). The largest single structural category was duplex projects (42.3% of all projects and 4.2% of all units) followed by lowrise apartments (under 4 stories) which accounted for 21.7% of all projects (36.0% of all units). Overall residential condominium prices have risen by approximately 150% between 1969 and 1977 in metropolitan Vancouver and Victoria although those units purchased from 197 4 on have shown little or no gain on resale. Condominium units have kept pace with rate of increase of single family detached house prices. One hundred and fifty-seven projects of 10 units and greater were randomly selected in metropolitan Vancouver and Victoria. Every eighth unit within these projects was distributed; an owners and a tenants survey - 895 units were thus canvased resulting in 234 completed and returned questionnaires. From these, three submarkets within the condominium market were identified: a) young, apartment condominium purchasers, generally without children. They purchased a unit primarily to establish an equity position in the housing market; b) townhouse purchasers who were predominantly in the 30-3 year old age category and had the highest average numbe of children; c) the older (over 40 years old) apartment purchasers who moved from . single family detached dwellings to escape the required upkeep. The owners survey also revealed that the two most frequently mentioned reasons for purchasing a condominium rather than a single family house were first, the economic advantage (46%) and second, the freedom of exterior upkeep (28%). Further it was found that overall there was a high level of satisfaction, with condominium living. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents reported to be moderately or very well satisfied. The condominium development industry was found to be made up of a large number of participants (1261). The majority of these (90%) produced only one or two projects each, however there were also a small number of firms that were large producers both in terms of units and projects. The largest twenty producers in terms of production of units concentrated, their activity in metropolitan Vancouver, these firms contributed one half of the units in this region. The management of strata council budgets, in terms of both operating and reserve accounts, has improved greatly in the recent past. Less than 9 percent of surveyed projects had operating budget deficiencies, compared to approximately one half of the projects surveyed in 1973. The condominium market is currently experiencing very soft market conditions. This is evidenced by the minimal price appreciation displayed recently, large vacant stocks of unoccupied units (1638 in June of 1977 in metropolitan Vancouver) and the reduction in the level of new condominium construction relative to 1976. Despite these negative aspects the broadening of the consumer market to include all age groups and the high level of satisfaction displayed in the owners survey indicates the condominium market will remain viable in the long-run. The short-run outlook must remain cloudy however until the present unsold inventory is reduced. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

In the early 1980’s, the Chinese government launched the nationwide housing and land reform programme to tackle almost insurmountable problems in providing residential housing for its citizens and adequate business facilities to facilitate sustainable economic growth.  Real estate developers play a significant role in the reform process.  The object of this thesis is to identify the problems encountered under Chinese legislation with regard to controlling the activities of developers and suggest solutions. Chinese legislative provisions are compared with the provisions of the sophisticated American Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act and well-developed South African Sectional Titles Act. The first part of the thesis focuses on the complicated housing and land reform process in China.  The major part of the thesis focuses on the role of developers in the development, sale and initial management of the condominium scheme.  Topics discussed include the role of developers in the establishment of condominium schemes, allocation of parking spaces and the management of condominium schemes during the initial period.  Consumer protection against abuses of power on the part of developers, especially regarding the sale of condominiums in a building which is still under construction is another key focus. The author finds that under current Chinese law, the developer is neither provided with sufficient flexibility nor controlled adequately by pertinent legislation.  The most important shortcoming is that developers are not empowered to draft constitutive documents to suit the needs of their particular schemes.  Lack of a constitutive document creates disputes among developers, management agencies and unit owners over various issues, such as the boundaries between exclusive units and common areas and their individual rights and obligations.  Allowing developers to draft and register the constitutive documents would not only bind the three parties to the provision of constitutive documents but provide more flexibility to the developer.  The automatic establishment of an owners’ association after the first unit is transferred will create a channel for communication among the three parties and reduce further friction amongst them.

The rapid modernization and densification of Taipei has resulted in a culturally and socially unsustainable society. The North American paradigm of high-rise condominiums disrupts the social pattern of the vernacular family, cultural activities and communities, isolating the city dwellers within their own homes. The physical city no longer reflects or supports its social and cultural condition, thus has led to the disintegration of traditional customs and lifestyle without a sustainable replacement. The hypothesis of this thesis is that high-density residential architecture can be reinvented through the reinterpretation of vernacular dwelling to accommodate cultural sustainable activities and a sociable, identifiable community. <br /><br /> The first three chapters record and examine three branches of research: vernacular Taiwanese culture and architecture, high-density vernacular architecture, and the current condition of Taipei, Taiwan. The research deals with various disciplines, most importantly family and social structure, to provide a foundation for further discussion of dwelling condition versus culture. Chapter iv compares and analyzes the relationship between residential architecture and lifestyle of the vernacular and current dwelling. It argues for the importance of communities at different scales, bound together by a hierarchy of communal spaces. The condominium building is carefully reexamined under the categories of the unit, the floor, the building as a village, and the neighbourhood. <br /><br /> The design project, Vertical Vernacular [chapter v], presents a new typology of high-density residential architecture. It demonstrates the implantation of the theories and prototypes developed in the previous chapter, by consideration of current culture and family structure, including both traditional customs and modern lifestyle. A full range of unit plans are developed based on demographics, family structure, traditional custom, and adoption of tradition to modern imperatives. The co-operative living environment inspired by the vernacular dwelling creates friendly, strong and safe communities within the condominium. Furthermore, the project aims for the feasibility of the concept within the densest district of Taipei City from a developer's point-of-view.

The rapid modernization and densification of Taipei has resulted in a culturally and socially unsustainable society. The North American paradigm of high-rise condominiums disrupts the social pattern of the vernacular family, cultural activities and communities, isolating the city dwellers within their own homes. The physical city no longer reflects or supports its social and cultural condition, thus has led to the disintegration of traditional customs and lifestyle without a sustainable replacement. The hypothesis of this thesis is that high-density residential architecture can be reinvented through the reinterpretation of vernacular dwelling to accommodate cultural sustainable activities and a sociable, identifiable community. <br /><br /> The first three chapters record and examine three branches of research: vernacular Taiwanese culture and architecture, high-density vernacular architecture, and the current condition of Taipei, Taiwan. The research deals with various disciplines, most importantly family and social structure, to provide a foundation for further discussion of dwelling condition versus culture. Chapter iv compares and analyzes the relationship between residential architecture and lifestyle of the vernacular and current dwelling. It argues for the importance of communities at different scales, bound together by a hierarchy of communal spaces. The condominium building is carefully reexamined under the categories of the unit, the floor, the building as a village, and the neighbourhood. <br /><br /> The design project, Vertical Vernacular [chapter v], presents a new typology of high-density residential architecture. It demonstrates the implantation of the theories and prototypes developed in the previous chapter, by consideration of current culture and family structure, including both traditional customs and modern lifestyle. A full range of unit plans are developed based on demographics, family structure, traditional custom, and adoption of tradition to modern imperatives. The co-operative living environment inspired by the vernacular dwelling creates friendly, strong and safe communities within the condominium. Furthermore, the project aims for the feasibility of the concept within the densest district of Taipei City from a developer's point-of-view.

No description available.

No description available.

Orientador: Claudio Silveira Amaral / Banca: Norma Regina Truppel Constantino / Banca: Maria Encarnação Beltrão Sposito / Banca: Marta Enokibara / Banca: Eda Maria Góes / Resumo: As cidades brasileiras são marcadas por processos de urbanização excludentes e seletivos, em que os contrastes e desigualdades sociais estão presentes de forma marcante na estrutura do espaço urbano e na configuração de sua paisagem. Na região metropolitana de São Paulo, a partir da década de 1970, surge um modelo de empreendimento residencial que se caracteriza pelo isolamento de edifícios em grandes lotes murados e protegidos, servidos de espaços de lazer e serviços habitualmente encontrados na cidade aberta. Com a complexificação recente da questão urbana, em que ricos e pobres muitas vezes ocupam os mesmos espaços, este modelo de empreendimento ganhou espaço e se difundiu a partir de discursos fundamentados na experiência do medo da violência urbana, explicitando os processos históricos de segregação social. Outra dimensão da conformação dos espaços residenciais fechados é a que diz respeito às questões simbólicas expressas através da arquitetura destes empreendimentos, tanto em sua estruturação espacial como em suas opções estilísticas. Neste sentido, o que se pretende é uma análise do fenômeno de difusão do modelo de condomínio fechado tipo clube a partir destas duas óticas complementares, às quais podemos definir a partir dos conceitos de segregação e distinção. / Abstract: The Brazilian cities are marked by excluding and selective urbanization processes in which the contrasts and inequalities are deeply present in the urban space structure and in its landscape configuration. In São Paulo metropolitan area, since the 1970's, a model of real estate development appears, characterized by isolated buildings within a large, walled and protect area served by recreational spaces and services usually found in the open city. The recent increase in urban scenario, in which rich and poor people many times occupy the same spaces, this type of real estate development has gained space and spread from fear experiences and urban violence speeches, showing the historical social segregation processes. Another dimension of closed residential areas is that of symbolic matters expressed by the architecture of these developments, either on its spatial structure or on its stylistic choices. In this sense, we pretend to analyze the phenomenon of diffusion of this model of real estate development - the gated communities - from two different but complementary points of view we can define from the concept of segregation and distinction / Mestre

The thesis examines the condominium conversion regulations of thirteen municipalities in the Vancouver Metropolitan area to determine how effective they are in addressing the concerns underlying conversion policies. The study begins with a review of the Canadian housing literature over the past two decades in order to identify the nature of Canadian rental housing problems, how these problems are defined and analyzed; and what policy prescriptions are offered. As part of the review of municipal conversion regulations, the legal context and the extent of legislative power for implementing conversion controls by local governments are examined. The study also examines the concept of private property rights--a fundamental philosophical issue in the policy debate over conversion regulations. Although the literature provides no consensus on the underlying causes or the appropriate policy response, it is clear that there are serious problems with Canada's urban rental housing sector. The problems include persistently low vacancy rates, declining private rental starts and the difficulty experienced by a considerable portion of low- and moderate income renters in affording private rental units. The province of British Columbia provides municipalities with broad discretionary powers to regulate conversions. In spite of the potential to devise comprehensive and innovative policy responses, existing municipal conversion regulations tend to be narrow in scope, inconsistently applied and many contain serious loopholes. A closer examination of recent conversion trends in the City of Vancouver provides evidence to show that conversions continue to take place and that Vancouver's conversion regulations are aimed primarily at ensuring compensation for displaced tenants, rather than effectively protecting the city's rental housing stock. The thesis concludes that if municipalities are to maintain a diversity of choice in housing tenure, a re-evaluation of conversion policies at both the provincial and municipal levels is warranted. Conversion policies can be improved by combining several approaches such that the strength of one compensates for the weakness of another. Further research is needed in the areas of rental housing demolitions, deconversions, fire and other phenomenon which contribute to the depletion of the rental stock. If wise and informed policy decisions are to be made, the detailed accounting of annual rental housing starts and completions must include those units lost through conversions and other activities. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

No description available.

LL.M. / Please refer to full text to view abstract