OTTAWA — Search through the design catalogue and circle your wish list items.
Final renderings, floorplan layouts and key building details have now been unveiled as part of the an initiative under the federal government’s housing plan.
It features some 50 standardized housing designs for rowhouses, fourplexes, sixplexes and accessory dwelling units.
The designs cover British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and the territories.
The release is meant to provide a head start for homeowners, builders and communities in their planning processes, explains a release.
The designs were developed by regional architecture and engineering teams and focus on creating gentle density and infill development in existing neighbourhoods in all regions of the country.
The final architectural design packages will be released this spring and will consist of architectural and engineering drawings and specifications, including accessible-ready and enhanced-accessible layouts; technical guidance on topics such as site considerations and energy modelling; and construction cost summaries for each housing design.
According to the federal government, numerous principles were considered during the development phase.
“These principles include adaptability and accessibility, energy efficiency, financial feasibility, use of regional construction methods and materials, and compliance with local regulations and building codes,” the release reads. “The catalogue simplifies design, ensures compliance with building codes, and helps estimate costs — so homes can be built faster.”
The concept of the housing design catalogue has been in the making for some time. Budget 2024 provided $11.6 million in 2024-25 to support its development and in January 2024 the government began engagements with stakeholders, partners, and experts.
Last July the federal government launched an RFP for the catalogue and the several proponents were selected including: MGA | Michael Green Architecture for the British Columbia region; and, LGA Architectural Partners Ltd., who worked with five other teams of regional experts: Dub Architects (Alberta), 5468796 Architecture (Manitoba and Saskatchewan), KANVA (Quebec), Abbott Brown Architects (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island), and Taylor Architecture Group (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut). LGA Architectural Partners covered the region of Ontario.
In October and November companies specializing in modular, panelized and 3D printed houses were asked to submit existing prefabricated housing designs to help inform the catalogue.
Drawing inspiration from ϳԹ Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s post-war housing design catalogues developed between the 1940s and 1970s, this latest iteration draws on lessons from the past and applies them to the housing challenges of today, the release adds.
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