Lam, Elsa
Canadian Architect [REV]. -- Vol. 71, no. 2 (abr., 2026). -- Ontario : Southam Magazine Group, 2026. -- Canadian Architect
Contenido parcial: For our April issue, we invited Ian Chodikoff, founder of Chodikoff & Ideas and former editor of Canadian Architect, to explore how architects can serve as advocates for housing affordability.- To open this discussion Chodikoff’s editorial describes the complexity of Canada’s housing ecosystem, and Kristen Harrison offers a strategic briefing on recent developments in Canadian housing policy. "When leading housing projects, we are beholden to our clients’ pro forma, while our clients are generally obligated to their lenders, whether financial institutions or investor groups. Seemingly, this leaves little room for our profession to advocate for building affordable housing at scale," writes Chodikoff. "But many architects have succeeded in creating new opportunities through publications, research, and work on new models for multi-family living.".- Sustainable, affordable, high-quality housing requires experts who can translate policy and regulations into built form and who can challenge those policies when they present technical barriers to progress. At the heart of this issue, Stefan Novakovic looks at 10 projects that show how architects are leading the way.- Chodikoff takes a deeper dive by interviewing five leading advocates leveraging their expertise to create new housing opportunities driven by policy and innovation.- Zoë Coombes leads the Neptis Foundation and sponsored the Impossible Toronto research. She cites several constraints limiting the proliferation of mid-rise typologies, including our current egress rules, which are based on an outmoded building code rationale. Johanna Hurme, one of the founding partners for 5468796 Architecture in Winnipeg, is equally pragmatic about what makes projects viable: regulatory certainty, utilities coordination, and long-term stewardship. Gregory Henriquez, an expert social housing advocate from Vancouver-based Henriquez Partners Architects, challenges the profession to treat mixed-income housing not as a ratio, but as a necessity. Carol Phillips, an architect transforming Moriyama Teshima Architects in Toronto, reframes modern methods of construction as an opportunity for a new generation of design leadership. Finally, Geoffrey Turnbull from Heartwood Investments brings an investor’s clarity and an architect’s insight to climate-resilient, well-designed rental housing seen as a viable alternative to home ownership.- The issue closes out with a selection of key resources related to increasing the stock of affordable housing in Canada.- Our April issue also pays tribute to architect and historian Robert Hill (1947-2026), and includes an analysis by Douglas Macleod of AI tools that Canadian architects are using today and the ones to keep an eye out for in the near future. This month’s AIA Canada Journal features the Society’s 2025 Design Award winners.
ISSN: 00082872
1. VIVIENDA; 2. VIVIENDAS DE INTERES SOCIAL; 3. PLANES HABITACIONALES; 4. DEFICIT HABITACIONAL