BC Builds

Design

Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada

2025-ongoing

The project aims to develop a cost-effective, sustainable housing model while enhancing the urban setting. The site presented many challenges, including a lack of street frontage, an easement that bisects the site, a one-storey topographic change from east to west, and a non-orthogonal property line. The result is a stepped rectangular volume pushed to the southernmost extent of the site along a new pathway connecting the Baker Park field (and ice rink) and the Seniors Centre.  Bright, airy apartments and a vibrant landscape address a challenging site, creating a new standard of living for Cranbrook and strengthening a critical node within the city. Currently, in Canada, there is still a negative connotation with denser forms of housing relative to the dominant single-family housing. Yet as housing shortages become more acute, denser housing typologies are critical to meeting demand. However, it cannot just be a question of building volume, but also of maintaining high quality and changing public perception of compact living.