National Housing Day 2024: Building a future where everyone has access to housing

November 22, 2024

Today, on National Housing Day, we’re reflecting on the critical role architects play in shaping healthy, equitable, and connected communities.   

“Our city urgently needs a mix of affordable housing. In addition to traditional models, we need to revisit former models like co-op housing and consider new models like co-living – a concept invented in Denmark in the 1970s,” says founding partner Shirley Blumberg.  

At KPMB Architects, we are addressing the housing crisis through innovative design that improves people’s lives and strengthens the social fabric. To deliver residential projects that are accessible, welcoming, and built with people and the planet in mind, we consider affordability, sustainability, and equity. 

“As architects, we need to anticipate the evolving needs of tenants. Static structures no longer meet tenants’ expectations — they need spaces that promote well-being and are designed with longevity in mind,” says partner Bruno Weber. “Future developments need to be adaptable, climate-resilient, and community-oriented.”   

For Odenak, formerly Dream LeBreton, we’re building community-oriented homes that support people of all incomes and abilities with partners Perkins & Will, Two Row Architect, and Purpose Building. Through a partnership with Multifaith Housing Initiative, a non-profit housing provider, access to certain units will be prioritized for groups that typically face barriers to adequate housing, including the Algonquin people, new immigrants and refugees, veterans, adults with cognitive disabilities, the elderly, and other equity-deserving individuals.  

Together with Kindred Works, we’re transforming underutilized spaces into an ecosystem of beautiful, attainable, and climate-safe homes across Canada. By 2037, the project is set to deliver homes for 34,000 people.   

At Tyndale Green, we’re designing 1,500 rental units, 50% of which will be offered at below-market rates, while creating a walkable public realm and pedestrian pathways that connect people to green spaces, the Don Valley ravine trail system, and the surrounding neighbourhood. 

As architects, we see housing as a powerful tool to drive change. We want to build a future where everyone has access to housing that enhances their quality of life. Every residential project at KPMB — student residences; mixed-use developments for Toronto Community Housing; residences that revitalize neighbourhoods; and prototypical housing for the northern Indigenous community of Fort Severn — contributes to a healthier and vibrant society.   

See more residential projects here.