A recent Globe and Mail article discussed Prime Minister Mark Carney’s ambitious commitment to expand prefabricated housing in Canada which has sparked a lot of excitement and debate across the country, especially in the construction and design industries.
Gravity has been been actively tracking the growing potential for prefabrication and its ability to shift how we design and deliver homes, especially in a time when speed, cost-efficiency, and sustainability matter more than ever.
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We have some exciting updates to share for Kerr's Badke Road Multi project in Kelowna's Rutland community!
In late February, City Council approved the Development Permit documents for this 6-storey, rental-only building. Since then, we’ve been making steady progress and are now approaching the halfway mark in building permit coordination, with 50% packages set for release next week. Progress continues as we work closely with our client and consultant teams.
Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the Development Permit release and move quickly towards delivering 120 much-needed homes to Rutland.
The Development Permit for Partner's Wedderburn Phase 12 Townhomes is approved!
These stacked townhomes will include 82 units across 10 buildings, each featuring one of three distinct building types.
Each building type consists of 3-bedroom layouts with balconies and ensuite bathrooms and also include undeveloped basements, offering homeowners the potential to add an additional living space. The homes have spacious floorpans and range in size from 1,850 to 2,500 square feet.
The Wedderburn Phase 12 project builds on our continued collaboration with Partners Development Group, following the success of previous developments such as Arrive D’Arcy and the Wedderburn Rowgalows. We're grateful to keep working with Partners to design homes for communities throughout Alberta.
Click the button below to learn more!
Anine joined Gravity's Calgary office at the beginning of 2025 as a Project Architect. She brings over 14 years of architectural experience shaped by a passion for community connection and thoughtful design.
In addition to contributing to project work, she collaborates with our Principals on business development, bringing a strong ability to identify creative opportunities that help Gravity continue to thrive.
With a Master of Architecture, Master of Building, and Construction Project Management from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, Anine continues to bring a well-rounded and global perspective to her work.
Her approach is grounded in the belief that great architecture sits at the intersection of creativity, technical precision, and social impact.
We are thrilled to welcome Anine to our team!
Gravity is looking for an Intermediate or Senior Architectural Technologist that has multifamily, commercial and/or mixed-use project drafting, detailing and coordination experience. This is a full-time, in-person position available at our Calgary office.
If you see yourself being a successful candidate or know someone who might be, please don't hesitate to reach out! To access this job posting and apply click the link below!
The Development Permit has been approved for the Sage Ravines project by Logel Homes!
This project will bring 68 stacked townhouses to Calgary's Sage Hill community. Spanning across 11 buildings, the project offers seven distinct building types that range from 1,200 to 2,200 square feet. The design aims to offer a variety of options to accommodate the needs of families and residents.
Set along a natural environmental reserve, these townhomes offer a blend of scenic living and functional design. With municipal green spaces located to the West and North, our team ensured that the townhomes take advantage of outdoor living. Each unit will have green space at their entries as well as individual balconies accessible from the second level. The homes along the west edge of the development will have direct views and access to a municipal park and green space. We were very happy with the extents of the landscaping for a project this size, and our team placed careful consideration to integrating regional pathways into the site design for added appeal.
Click below to learn more about Sage Ravines Townhomes!
Concluding the Point Access Block blog series, we are pleased to reveal the results of the design research teams and their entries into the Buildner Single-Stair Housing Competition. We are immensely proud of the work of our M.Arch students as both submissions to the competition presented a highly developed and realistic conceptual design that has, in our opinion, proved the efficacy of the PAB typology in North America. It is our hope that these PAB feasibility studies will serve as a springboard to move forward conversations surrounding code change across Canada and act as precedents to unlocking new housing opportunities for Canadians in the future through PAB design.
Lastly, we’d like to shout out Team 2 for being Shortlisted by Buildner for their submission—congrats to Michael Stellmach and Richard Tsai on this awesome achievement! Check out their entry (and the other fantastic submissions) on the competition results page for the Buildner Denver Single-Stair Housing Challenge.
Text description provided by the designers. Gateway was designed as a thoughtful response to its urban context, drawing inspiration from the varied building heights, materials, and architectural strategies in the surrounding area. The result is an apartment building that accommodates a diverse range of residents and family sizes while seamlessly integrating into its environment. This competition tasked participants with designing an apartment building on a parcel of land measuring approximately 46' x 121' (5,566 square feet), traditionally zoned for a single-family home, duplex, or four-plex. The design challenge focused on incorporating a single-stair configuration, inspired by recent code changes in Seattle, USA, and Vancouver, Canada, which now permit single-stair apartments. This approach aims to maximize site efficiency, promote increased urban density, and provide housing options that accommodate diverse needs.
The core concept of the project is to create an inclusive apartment building that brings together people from diverse backgrounds and accommodates various family sizes, fostering a strong sense of community. This vision is realized through intentional design choices that prioritize human-centric living, such as thoughtfully selected materials, flexible layouts, and a variety of unit types to suit different needs. The building emphasizes communal spaces that encourage interaction and connection among residents while also offering private, comfortable living environments. Our team’s approach to creating Gateway began with comprehensive research into both Canadian and American building codes. Building on this groundwork, we employed a hands-on, iterative process, using a Tetris-like methodology to explore and refine unit placement and configuration. This strategy allowed us to efficiently optimize the use of space, ensuring a balanced mix of unit types while maximizing functionality and livability.
A variety of unit types, including single-story and multi-story layouts, cater to diverse household needs, ensuring accessibility for individuals, couples, and families of different sizes. Central to the design is a spacious private outdoor courtyard, providing a serene and communal space where residents can relax, socialize, or connect with nature. Gateway’s design thoughtfully responds to its surrounding urban context through the use of brick, a material that reflects the architectural character of Denver, Colorado. Beyond aesthetics, brick was chosen for its inherent sustainability and fire-resilient properties, contributing to the building’s durability and environmental performance. Complementing the brickwork, metal panels serve as the secondary material, adding a modern contrast to the facade. These panels break up the geometry of the building, delineate unit types, and provide visual interest while maintaining continuity by wrapping around the stair core.
Several challenges arose during the development of Gateway, beginning with the stringent building code requirements. These regulations, particularly for developments exceeding three stories, imposed significant restrictions, including large setbacks, which made achieving a single-stair configuration exceptionally difficult. Parking presented another major hurdle, as the site lacked sufficient space for a traditional ramped parking structure. The solution was to incorporate a car lift system, a space-saving innovation commonly used in Japan. This approach not only addressed the spatial constraints but also brought efficiency and modernity to the project. Additionally, the team needed to balance optimizing space with ensuring that the apartments felt open and comfortable, requiring constant revisions to achieve the ideal layouts. The project evolved through multiple iterations in both massing and unit configurations, ultimately achieving a more deliberate and thoughtful design. The building’s massing draws inspiration from the surrounding brick architecture and historic district, incorporating modern design elements to create a timeless aesthetic. One standout feature is the inclusion of brick arches, a rarity in residential projects due to the high level of craftsmanship and cost they require. To address these challenges, the team conducted research into advanced construction techniques, utilizing robotic arms to create intricate brick vaults. This innovative method demonstrated the feasibility of producing complex and precise designs while reducing labor intensity. The overall result is Gateway, a project that harmonizes tradition with innovation, creating a livable, community-focused environment that respects its context and embraces forward-thinking design solutions.
Text description provided by the designers. Core Commons is an imaginative architectural project situated at 1338 Emerson St in the historical Capitol Hill area of Denver. The development addresses the missing middle by creating a robust intergenerational housing complex. Leveraging the site’s proximity to transit, bike infrastructure, and a vibrant cultural scene, Core Commons promotes sustainable, community-focus urban living to encourage resilience. The task is to design an innovative housing solution that bridges the gap between single-family homes and large apartment complexes; creating a sustainable, intergenerational community that maximizes a compact urban lot while fostering connections among residents and the surrounding neighbourhood. Core Commons aims to address the missing middle housing crisis by offering diverse unit types for a wide range of residents, creating a vertical neighborhood that fosters community and interaction. The project integrates sustainable design principles and prioritizes alternative transportation options while balancing adaptable and resilient housing that harmonizes public and private spaces.
The design concept draws inspiration from the traditional Briggs house, reimagined for an urban context. Key elements like the front and back lawn, stairs, and neighborhood interface were abstracted to form transitional boundaries between public and private realms. The central staircase becomes the heart of the design, serving as a social and functional connector. The building’s design blurs boundaries between movement and occupation, creating a dynamic architectural experience that promotes interaction and community. The approach involved adapting a suburban housing typology for a vertical, urban context by emphasizing shared spaces like the central staircase and a ground-level party room to foster community interaction. Drought-tolerant landscaping was utilized alongside integration with existing transit and bike infrastructure to prioritize sustainability. Additionally, every unit was designed as a corner unit to enhance natural ventilation, light, and access to outdoor spaces.
The central wrapping staircase of Core Commons acts as a vertical street and gathering space, fostering chance encounters and connections. Front and backyards for units provide residents with personal outdoor spaces, enhancing the balance between public and private realms. A flexible ‘party room’ opens to both the central stair and a front patio, encouraging community events. The operable facade offers residents control over sunlight and ventilation, enhancing sustainability. Diverse unit layouts accommodate a wide range of residents, including young professionals, families, and retirees. The wood-framed construction ensures flexibility and adaptability for future expansion or contraction. Sustainable materials, primarily wood-frame construction with a brick veneer, were chosen for easy assembly and disassembly. A concrete core connects the two halves of the building, providing structural stability. Operable facades and small windows optimize light, ventilation, and thermal performance while adhering to building codes. Drought-tolerant landscaping reduces water usage and enhances the building’s environmental integration.
Given the extremely small site, setbacks and available surface amenity space posed initial challenges. Early iterations included scattered amenity spaces throughout the building, but this compromised valuable floor area, reducing unit numbers and overall efficiency. To address this, social spaces were strategically distributed, incorporating external social stairs along every floor with primary amenity areas on the ground floor and rooftop. Additionally, mitigating the imposing presence of a six-story tower amidst two-story buildings required careful facade design. Breaking up the facade facing adjacent buildings created porosity, which not only reduced tension but also fostered a stronger visual and spatial dialogue with the surrounding structures. The completed design successfully bridges the missing middle by creating a sustainable, intergenerational housing complex that fosters community and interaction. The building’s central staircase and shared spaces enhance social connectivity, while its sustainable design principles contribute to urban resilience. By utilizing adaptable materials and diverse unit layouts, Core Commons serves as a model for future urban housing developments, addressing the housing crisis while enriching the neighborhood’s cultural fabric.
This summer I had the opportunity to visit the country of Iceland. During my stay in the capital of Reykjavik, I explored the local architecture including the Harpa. Among other things, it is a music hall and conference centre, and it is considered the crown jewel of Iceland’s architecture. Harpa, which is Icelandic for the musical instrument harp, is tucked in the northern portion of the city centre. It captures views of the downtown area, the ocean, and the local mountains that surround Reykjavik.
Like many other buildings in Iceland, the design was heavily inspired by the natural beauty that occurs throughout Iceland. Harpa takes noticeable design cues from basalt columns, a natural occurring phenomenon throughout Iceland created by the cooling and solidification of lava. This process leaves behind hexagonal shaped pillars that can be seen in extensively around Iceland’s landmarks. The architecture also pays homage to the Northern Lights, which often illuminates the skies throughout Iceland.
Harpa was designed by architect Henning Larsen and artist Olafur Eliasson. They decided to explore a “quasi brick” design for portions of the building façade. These uniquely shaped polyhedron modules were placed upon each other to create a crystalline structure. This design gives the south façade those basalt column characteristics. These modules have colour filtered panes, and combined with LED installation allows the architecture to be lit up at night, but also to appear as if it is changing colour as the daylight hits it. Whether the building is viewed during the day or night, the inspiration from the northern lights can be seen throughout the architecture.
The interior of the building is equally impressive and influenced by Iceland’s landscape. Harpa was designed with a variety of halls and conference spaces with the capacity to host events of any kind. It hosts four major musical halls each one designed after a specific Icelandic natural feature: a volcanic crater, northern lights, glaciers, and black sand beaches. Harpa also focuses heavily on sustainability, having the majority of all the energy it consumes coming from renewable geothermal sources. This contributes to the goal for Harpa to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Throughout my travels in Iceland, it was evident that the Icelandic people have a deep connection to the nature around them and it is an important aspect of their culture. Seeing those connections woven into the design of modern architecture highlights an important intersection between great architecture and cultural values.
David Charlton
Architectural Technologist
Postscript:
David’s last day with Gravity was February 27th, 2025. We were sad to see him go, but we’re excited for what’s next in his career!
Introducing the Highwood Townhomes and Highwood Commercial Centre!
Located in High River, Alberta in the Montrose neighbourhood, this project will include 15 stacked townhouse buildings with 146 units as well as 4 commercial buildings that will offer 22 retail spaces. One of the buildings will include a second floor day home facility with an adjacent rooftop playground!
This development will bring vibrancy to the Montrose Community, offering significant commercial, community and public gathering spaces that are accessible both regionally and locally being well-connected to the surrounding road and pedestrian networks.
We are excited to share that the Development Permit has been submitted for this community development!
Click the button below to learn more about the Highwood Centre project!
Back in August of 2024, the government of British Columbia announced a revision to the BC Building Code (BCBC 2024, rev.3) allowing for small residential buildings to be built with only one means of egress — a single exit stairwell core. Also known as a Point Access Block (PAB), these buildings target small, narrow parcels for residential development, unlocking new opportunities for infill development on under-utilized land.
With compact footprints, units are arranged around or near a single central egress point (stairwell & elevator core). The second egress core is eliminated and connective corridors are reduced substantially, resulting in more flexibility to unit/suite design, and greater number of units/suites with corner exposure. Additionally, this design approach supports high-density living, promotes walkable neighbourhoods, and enhances urban sustainability through the utilization of smaller infill sites otherwise left undeveloped.
In the fall of 2024, Gravity Architecture sponsored a small cohort of M.Arch students as part of a Work Integrated Learning experience in collaboration with the University of Calgary. Over the span of four months, Gravity’s own Noel Heard and Maureen Carrigy oversaw the progress of M.Arch 2025 students in two teams: Gwen Houtzager, Michael Paris, and Pauline Sutherland forming Team 1, and Michael Stellmach and Richard Tsai forming Team 2. During this time, the research teams were tasked with conducting a series of experiments and exercises to discover exactly the potentials of PAB design via the framework of the Buildner Denver Single-Stair Housing Challenge. This competition’s primary goal is to challenge the current building constraints of existing building codes in not only Denver, but North America as a whole.
In this edition of the Point Access Block blog series, we deconstruct the BCBC 2024 rev.3 code for Point Access Block (download our cheat sheet below!) and present our research team’s preliminary feasibility for residential development on a PAB compliant sized parcel of land.
Effective August 27 of 2024, BCBC Revision 3 officially enables construction of Point Access Block in Canada. Currently, PAB design is common throughout most of the world, but is almost completely absent within North America. The exception occurs in Seattle, where in 2021 the Seattle building code introduced revisions similar to BC’s Revision 3 that allowed for the single-egress. Though PAB is currently restricted to British Columbia, it’s not implausible to believe that other provinces will soon follow in adopting these policies.
Our research teams were tasked with comparing three building codes: (1) Denver Building Code and Bylaw, 2021 (does not support PAB design, similar to Alberta); (2) Seattle Building Code and Bylaw, 2021 (supports PAB design); and (3) British Columbia Building Code, 2024, Revision 3 (supports PAB design). After deconstructing and comparing the three building codes, it was revealed that the Seattle and BCBC code were very similar in policy, but with minor differences in flexibility of space. To learn more about the code regulations for Point Access Block design in British Columbia, download our BCBC 2024 rev. 3 cheat sheet below.
Our research teams conducted a series of massing and programming experiments to determine the full potentials of the new code policies. Split into two teams, each research group was required to abide by the BC building code for Point Access Block and Land-Use Bylaw requirements of the site in Denver, and any additional requirements outlined by the Buildner challenge. A 14.0m x 37.0m (46’-0 x 121’-0”) project site was chosen for the study, complying with the maximum parcel size requirements for PAB design. The project site is an existing surface parking lot near the downtown core, comparable to many PAB compliant site types that could be utilized for PAB design in British Columbia. Each research team was then tasked with developing their own building program and design rational to implement into their experiments. Finally, each team was tasked with exploring several feasibility studies, to demonstrate how unit spaces could be divided within floor spaces, and how parking, building services, and amenity spaces fit within the overall building site to maximize spatial efficiency. Overall, the result was that Point Access Block provides a greater opportunity to create meaningful, efficient, and high quality design both internally and externally on these small site conditions than a traditional double egress development could ever hope to achieve.
March 8th is a day to celebrate the incredible women on our team who go above and beyond. Thank you for your hard work, resilience, and commitment to excellence.
We acknowledge and appreciate all the women who make a meaningful impact and work hard to shape our communities, industries, and workplaces. Their dedication, expertise, and leadership inspire us all.
Happy International Women's Day!
The Development Permit has been approved for the Brentwood Renewal Phase 1 Multi-Residential!
This is the first multi-residential building proposed for the Brentwood Homes site in the Woodcoft community of northwest Edmonton. It was designed within the guidelines of the Brentwood Master Plan that Gravity is co-leading with B&A Planning Group.
This Master Plan has been divided into eight phases, starting from the northwest corner of the site and progressing eastward, with the final phase on the northeast corner.
This first phase includes this 5-storey multi residential structure that will add 69 units to the Brentwood site. It will provide apartments ranging from 700 to 1,200 square feet, with both 2- and 3-bedroom size configurations.
Click below to read more about the Brentwood Renewal - Phase 1!
If you would like to learn more about the Brentwood Master Plan click here.
The Development Permit has been approved for the Tuxedo 4 Plex! This missing middle project by Magno Development offers eight dwellings within a single building on a compact site in Calgary’s inner northeast neighbourhood of Tuxedo. The at-grade suites include a covered entrance porch leading to an open living and kitchen layout with the three bedrooms and ensuite bathroom on the upper level. The below-grade suites offer a comfortable living area, two bedrooms, and private sunken patios.
To learn more about our design choices for this missing middle project click below!
Walking through the leafy grounds of University College Cork on a warm September afternoon, we were looking forward to visiting The Glucksman. I had noticed it in a travel guide, and while visits to Europe are usually thought of as an opportunity to see old things, I've often found that I've discovered a newer world there.
The Lewis Glucksman Gallery in Cork was completed in 2004. It was designed by the renowned Irish architectural firm O'Donnell + Tuomey, known for their innovative and context-sensitive designs. The building has received numerous awards for its architecture, including the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award.
As we walked up the entry path from the River Lee, the building came into view. Perched lightly above its surroundings, the building seemed to float—its curvilinear, modern massing contrasting beautifully with the mature trees and historic campus. The design, with its wood-paneled façade and channel glass reveals, seemed almost weightless, as though it's final placement within the natural setting of the campus was still pending.
The entry is a transparent glass block that was slid into the horizontal reveal between the podium below and the gallery above. Within this two storey space, a long stair invited us up into the exhibition spaces.
Each gallery has a large window that directed our attention to different vistas of the tree canopy, campus or city. Broad wooden stairs coaxed us up from gallery to gallery ultimately to a terrace that offered views across the River Lee Valley.
Exhibitions included Groundwork, which invited us to reflect on humanity’s connection to the land. The pieces ranged from sweeping landscapes rendered in oil to intricate sculptures made from natural materials. Another exhibition, Stories of Art, was equally captivating. It wove Irish narratives through a variety of media, linking personal histories to broader cultural contexts.
After exploring the galleries, we returned down to the entry plaza and passed by the café. Nestled by the riverside, it offered a tranquil spot to sit and process the experience. The sound of the rustling leaves blended with the clink of cutlery and the hum of conversation, creating a comfortable, welcoming atmosphere to reflect on the visit.
We left along the river path to enjoy the rest of the campus. From across the meadow, we paused to look back at the The Glucksman expecting to see it floating impossibly above the green. It had, however, disappeared; we couldn't see it through all the trees.
Stephen Barnecut
Architect and Principal at Gravity Architecture
The Development Permit has been approved for Avalon Master Builder's Emerge Greystone South!
This multi-family townhome development will introduce 58 homes to the Town of Cochrane, featuring two distinct building types: stacked townhouses and three-storey units with double garages. The simple shed forms of the townhouse buildings take inspiration from the industrial areas that surround the community that have over time been repurposed over time into more urban spaces. The exteriors feature simple massing, bold materials, and a pop of colour on the entry doors.
The project is just north this project is our Zen Greystone project, which are Avalon's Net Zero townhouses for purchase.
Click the button to read more on this project!
We're excited to welcome Paul, our newest Project Architect, to Gravity Architecture's Calgary office! With almost a decade of experience, Paul brings his breadth of experience and creativity to the team. He began his career in architecture after completing a Business Degree at Mount Royal University, later earning his Master of Architecture from the University of Calgary in 2016.
Paul's architectural journey started during his time working with a home builder during his undergraduate studies. His career has included time at both a design-build firm to a boutique architecture studio, allowing him to hone his skills across a range of both modest and high-end residential projects.
One of his standout achievements is his participation in the Winter City Design competition, where he showcased his innovative project “Illumine” for the City of Calgary. This award-winning public project underscores his passion for creating community-focused spaces.
We are thrilled to have him join the Gravity team! To learn more about Paul click the button below!
This week, CTV News Calgary interviewed Crystal Creek Homes’ Sales Manager, Andrea Irwin, about the highly anticipated Guild Townhomes in the University District. The Gravity team is thrilled to hear about the public's enthusiasm for these homes and is proud to be part of this buzz-worthy development, which will offer luxury spaces for residents seeking low-maintenance living with high-quality features—including elevators in each unit!
Calgary's University District is rapidly expanding and has become one of the most sought-after areas in the city. During the CTV interview, Irwin shared that building luxury homes in such a desirable location is what truly sets Guild Townhomes apart.
Whether designed for empty nesters looking to embrace modern living with comfort and convenience as a priority, or for families who will appreciate the 2-3 bedroom floorplans and customizable design elements, the Guild Townhomes are sure to meet a variety of lifestyle needs. Irwin highlighted, “We have a wide variety of buyers that are looking towards living at Guild townhomes, the maintenance free living, whether you're busy working long hours or simply just wanting to lock and leave and go travel for six months, Guild offers this maintenance-free living."
CTV also asked for more details about what makes these homes truly luxurious. “What makes them unique and so incredible is that we are offering private elevators for every one of our town homes. So whether you use it as a service list for groceries, luggage or perhaps mobility issues, it takes you all the way from your ground level to your private rooftop terrace.,” explained Irwin.
Gravity solved Crystal Creek’s challenges regarding how to integrate these elevators into each unit of the three-storey buildings. Because an elevator pierces each floor plate inflexibly, our team designed the elevators to fit into a fixed location on each floor while still maintaining easy access to essential spaces throughout the homes.
Click the link here to watch the full CTV interview! You can also access our page with more details on Gravity’s design process and the challenges we solved for these homes by clicking the button below.
With over 15 years of experience in bookkeeping, Jayelene brings to Gravity her hard-working mindset and passion for numbers.
Since 2012, she has been an integral part of the team, originally just doing our books, but over time growing into managing the firm’s financial operations. Her journey into bookkeeping began in the mid-2000s at a transportation company. When our last bookkeeper left to start a family, we heard that Jayelene—one of Stephen's wife's friends—had been doing a little bookkeeping. She was open to helping us out, and after Stephen showed her what little he knew, she started taking care of business!
While pursuing her affinity with accounting, she also works at The Reading Foundation—a private remedial therapy clinic—working with and teaching people reading, writing and mathematics. She has taught clients as young as three and as old as sixty—showcasing her dedication to helping people of all ages succeed.
What Jayelene enjoys most about working in an architecture firm is the opportunity to collaborate with a creative team and seeing the steps involved in designing all sorts of different projects. Jayelene's job knowledge, dedication to her work, and effervescent presence make us grateful to have her on our team!
Gravity Architecture is pleased to be partnering with the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning + Landscape this fall as we research the implications and policy amendments surrounding single-stair egress in medium density residential projects - also known as a Point Access Block (PAB) development. Through SAPL’s Workplace Integrated Learning program, Gravity is collaborating with a cohort of 5 senior SAPL M.Arch students to explore the qualities of PAB, led by our own SAPL alumni: Noel Heard and Maureen Carrigy.
This summer, the government of British Columbia announced their intention to change the BC building code to allow for small residential apartment buildings (up to six storeys) to be built with only one means of egress - a single exit stairwell core. This type of development is common outside of North America and at Gravity we are often impressed by international buildings that utilize this technique as they offer a level of efficiency to small sites that our current building practices don’t allow for in Canada. The potential that PAB design offers to expand the range of housing available in the British Columbia market will be immensely impactful in mitigating the housing crisis. PAB provides a new set of tools that will allow developers to build residential architecture more efficiently and on a wider range of sites. To ignite our research and hopefully curate a proposal that supports policy change in favour of PAB’s, we looked to jurisdictions in North America already experimenting with this typology, such as Seattle, and made the decision to have our research team participate in the Buildner Denver Single-Stair Housing Challenge for Point Access Block housing. By participating in the competition, we believe this will provide our research team the best opportunity to develop a strong, robust, proposal and provide a mechanism that effectively tests the potential of Point Access Block in very realistic conditions.
Point Access Block (PAB) housing is a common and efficient residential design method used in urban environments across most of the world, especially Europe. This design approach, characterized by a single staircase that serves all units, supports high-density living, promotes walkable neighborhoods, and enhances urban sustainability through the utilization of smaller infill sites otherwise left undeveloped. However, despite these benefits, this housing typology is largely absent in North America due to stringent building codes that mandate dual staircases for building egress above two or three stories. These restrictive regulations have contributed to the housing crisis by limiting the diversity and affordability of housing options given the land-area requirements for traditional multi-housing development.
Over 12 weeks of researching and experimenting, we aim to explore and highlight the limitations of restrictive building codes and strive for change to allow for the Single-Stair building typology. By showcasing innovative designs, the studio seeks to influence building code changes that will allow for more diverse, affordable, and sustainable housing solutions in North America. Our goal is to research, learn, and ultimately curate feasible designs to submit to the Denver Single-Stair Housing Challenge. Split into two research teams, the students have been enlisted with designing a mid-rise, single stair residential building on a site outlined by the competition brief, under the mentorship of Gravity Architecture. The designs will maximize the potential of the site, promote sustainability, enhance the visual and functional character of the neighborhood, and be respectful of realistic budgets and construction practices. By participating in a design competition based in Denver, it is our goal to use the lessons learned to better understand how change can be implemented within the Canadian context.
A&T Development's Red Fox Lodge is now complete! The building stands beautifully amidst the autumn leaves in Kamloops, BC. This four-storey, 58-unit building will allow the resort to attract skilled and in demand staff by providing on-site accommodation. Situated on a slope above Sun Peaks Road and McGillivray Creek, its central location will allow residents easy access to all areas of the resort for both work and play.
We have been working with A&T Developments on a variety of projects for the Sun Peaks Ski Resorts. Stay tuned for more updates!
Click below to read more about Sun Peaks Red Fox Lodge building!
