Develop: Low-Rise Typologies

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Low-Rise Typologies - Toronto Beta Version

We’re excited to introduce low-rise massing typologies to the Ratio.City platform! These additions extend the Develop tool beyond mid-rise and tall buildings to include ground-oriented built forms that are central to the missing middle housing conversation.  

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start working with the two new typologies: 

🏘️ What’s New in the Develop Tool?

  • Townhouse

  • Multiplex (2 to 6 units) 

Note: these updates are currently available for the City of Toronto only. Interested in similar tools for your city? Reach out to us at hello@ratio.city. 

What’s Changed or New in the Develop Tool?

The low-rise massing feature lives within the same Develop tool you already know. We’ve made some updates that apply to all massing workflows in the City of Toronto. Most notably, the workflow now has four steps instead of three. Here’s how the steps map across: 

Existing Workflow Updated Workflow
Step 1: Select Site
Select or draw your site and/or subdivide 		Same — No change (Step 1: Select Site)
Step 2: Build
Select your building typology (mid-rise or tall building) and indicate your building parameters (Form & Layout, Styling, and Efficiencies) 		Step 2: Define
Select your building typology (new low-rise options) and define your site boundaries (front, rear and sides)
Step 3: Build
Establish your built form characteristics (Form & Layout, Styling, and Efficiencies)
Step 3: Analyze
Generate shadow studies, parcel or development reports, export OBJ files 		Same — No change (Step 4: Analyze)

💡 Important Information: The changes in this training material focus on Steps 2 and 3 (Define & Build in the updated workflow), which are where the new low-rise functionality lives. Step 1 - Select Site and Step 4 – Analyze (Previously Step 3) are unchanged.  

⚠️ Warning: Steps 2 and 3 only apply to low-rise typologies. If you select a mid-rise or tall building typology, your experience will be the same as before with exception to the fact that ‘select building type’ and ‘define site boundaries’ inputs have moved to a new step.

Define – Building Type & Boundaries

Step 2 is where you’ll choose your building type and set up your site boundaries. These two things work together to generate the as-of-right starting point for your massing. 

The building typology dropdown now includes the following options:

  • Townhouse 

  • Multiplex 

  • Mid-rise 

  • (2024 Draft – in development) Mid-rise 

  • Tall building 

Select the typology that best fits your project.  

Low-rise building types: Townhouse & Multiplex 

When you select a low-rise typology, you’ll be required to define the front, rear, and sides of your site before the massing is generated. This is a new step that helps us apply the correct default values and generate a massing that reflects as-of-right development from the start. 

Once you’ve defined your boundaries and click ‘Continue’, the tool will review five key layers to establish the as-of-right condition for your site: 

  • Zoning category 

  • Lot coverage permissions 

  • Height limits 

  • EHON Major Streets designation 

  • Permitted sixplex areas 

💡 Important Information: The first massing you see after clicking ‘Continue’ will represent the as-of-right development for your site. You can think of it as your compliant starting point before you begin exploring different configurations. 

Build – Form & Layout

Step 3 is where you’ll define the built form of your low-rise massing. This section covers the Form & Layout panel and the inputs that are specific to townhouse and multiplex typologies. 

⚠️ Warning: The content in this section applies to low-rise typologies only. Mid-rise and tall building workflows are unchanged in this step. 

Building Details

At the top of the Form & Layout panel, you’ll see a summary of the building type you selected in Step 2 (this is for reference and cannot be edited here) and the zoning category being used to define your defaults. 

The zoning category is determined as follows: 

  • If your selected parcel is already zoned for residential development, that zone will be shown. 

  • If you select multiple parcels with different zoning categories, one will be auto-selected for you. 

  • If your selected parcel is zoned for a non-residential use, the tool will default to Residential Detached (RD). 

You can always change the zone using the dropdown if, for example, you’re working on an amendment application or want to test a different scenario. 

💡 Important Information: See the ‘i’ icon next to an input field? That means the value was clearly determined from our site review. If a value depends on a design detail that Ratio.City doesn’t have (like ceiling joist type or roof construction), we’ll flag that input with a notice and link directly to the relevant policy so you can determine the correct value for your project. 

💡 Important Information: See an arrow/reset icon next to an input field? This means the initial value is a calculated one. Clicking reset will return it to the minimum setback requirement only, without factoring in building length or depth. 

As-of-Right Reset 

You’ll notice a new button at the top of the Form & Layout panel: ‘As-of-right development’. Clicking this will reset your massing back to the as-of-right condition, or the same state you saw when you initially clicked ‘Continue’ from Step 2. This is a great way to get back to a clean baseline if you’ve been exploring different configurations. 

Basement Development 

You can now indicate whether your project includes basement development by selecting the checkbox. Toggling it on won’t change the visual appearance of the massing, but it will update the statistics in the secondary panel including unit count, GCA, and net sellable area. See ‘Secondary Panel’ section for more details. 

Setback and Stepbacks

The initial setback values in the massing are calculated values, not just the minimums. This means the tool takes the minimum required setback and factors in the maximum permitted building length and depth (where available) to generate a setback that represents the as-of-right condition. 

Here’s what to expect: 

  • If you see a reset icon next to the rear setback value, it means the initial value is a calculated one. Clicking reset will return it to the minimum setback requirement only, without factoring in building length or depth. 

  • Where a setback has requirements of a conditional statement (for example, 7.5m or 25% of lot depth – take the greater of the two), the tool will calculate and use the applicable value. 

  • Where a design detail prevents the tool from assuming the input value, you’ll see a notice with a direct link to the relevant policy.

Build – Statistics

Residential Units 

We’ve made some updates and introduced a new option for how residential units are calculated.  

You now have two modes to choose from: 

  • (Current) Average unit: You define an average unit size, and the unit count updates automatically to match the available GFA. 

  • (New) Unit count: You define the number of units, and the average unit size updates to reflect what’s achievable within the available GFA. 

The default mode depends on which typology you’ve selected: 

Typology Default
Townhouse Average unit: defaults to 1,100 sq ft average unit size
Multiplex (in sixplex-permitted zone) Unit count: defaults to 6 units
Multiplex (standard zone) Unit count: defaults to 4 units

💡 Important Information: All values can be modified. The defaults are just a starting point to help you get going quickly. 

⚠️ Warning: If you have the basement toggle turned on, the basement unit will be included in the unit count and average unit size calculations. 

 

Secondary Panel  

The secondary panel provides a live view of key statistics for your massing as you make changes. We recommend keeping an eye on it as you work. It’s a great way to stay on top of compliance and understand the impact of your inputs in real time. 

We’ve added several new fields to the secondary panel. These sit alongside existing metrics and highlight both the permitted values and what your current massing represents: 

  • Building length 

  • Building depth 

  • Permitted lot coverage 

  • Permitted GFA 

  • Permitted FAR 

 Each of these new fields shows what is permitted under zoning alongside the values of your current massing, so you can easily compare them. 

⚠️ Warning: If your massing exceeds a permitted value, you’ll see a red warning icon next to that field in the secondary panel. You’ll need to adjust your inputs to resolve the issue before the massing can be considered compliant. 

 

If you toggle on basement development, you’ll see the following updates in the secondary panel: 

  • A new entry will appear in the Floor Area Summary section 

  • Unit count will update to include the basement unit 

  • GCA and net sellable area will be updated 

⚠️ Warning: FAR and GFA do not include basement numbers. These metrics are calculated for above-grade area only. 

 

Hatching 

In addition to the warning icons in the secondary panel, the 3D massing view uses hatching to visually indicate non-compliance: 

  • For building height, building length and depth, and minimum required setbacks: only the non-compliant portion of the building will be hatched. 

  • For GFA, FAR, and lot coverage: the entire building will be shown as hatched, since these are whole-building metrics. 

 

💡 Important Information: Hatching is a helpful visual cue when reviewing a massing with a client or colleague, it makes it immediately obvious where adjustments are needed without having to dig into the numbers. If you would like to turn off hatching, you can modify these settings within the ‘Styling’ section. 

Coming Soon

We’re continuing to build out the low-rise massing feature. Here’s a look at what’s on the roadmap: 

  • Garden suite, laneway suite, and low-rise apartment typologies 

  • Ability to add a garden suite to a multiplex or townhouse development 

  • Parking details 

Have a feature request or something you’d like to see? Reach out to us at hello@ratio.city. We’d love to hear from you! 

FAQs

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We’re here to help.

Reach out to our team at hello@ratio.city if you have any questions, feedback, suggestions, or to book a training session for yourself or your team.