New infill houses in Saskatoon historic neighbourhoods get mixed response
Some of Saskatoon’s oldest neighbourhoods have houses that have been standing since the late 1800s.
But a lot of those houses are seeing new neighbours that look a whole lot different.
Century-old homes with big porches and unique features are being joined by those with modern finishes, boxy looks and big windows.
One local historian worries it’s becoming too much.
“I think it’s going to make for a very, very bland, uninteresting environment. Because these houses are distinct enough, and because they’ve been here long enough, they themselves tell the history of the neighbourhood,” said Dianne Wilson, a member of the Saskatoon Heritage Society.
Wilson says new infill houses are taking away from the character of old neighbourhoods.
“I don’t like infill because generally, if it’s an economy build, it’s like a cereal box with little holes punched in it for windows. And if they try and go a little more upscale, they can’t get the proportions right.”
But others say introducing different ages and styles could be good for the area.
“I don’t think it’s a terrible thing to have a little bit of diversity in the age of houses in a neighbourhood. Some of these houses are in quite poor condition,” said Andrew Wallace, an architect for Wallace Kruger Architects.
Wallace says people want to live in exciting neighbourhoods but keeping an old house up to code can be very expensive and a lot of work, so some people choose to replace the home.
And not all new houses have an ultra-modern look.
“People have different tastes. Some people prefer modern houses, and some people prefer heritage houses. Some people, I guess, prefer modern houses that look like heritage houses,” Wallace said.
Wallace says some cities have architectural controls in historic neighbourhoods that make all the infill homes a similar style to the time period of the existing area.
But, as more housing is built, the challenge will be balancing the history that gave these neighbourhoods character, and allowing new styles to help them grow further.
Watch the video above for more on why older houses are being replaced and the different opinions behind it.
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