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As a practicing architect and chair of the Council of Provincial Building Regulators, I have been following the National Housing Design Catalog initiative with great interest, some hope, and some dismay.
The issue of housing affordability is absolutely critical across Canada, and architects have an important role to play. Just a few months ago, in October 2023, Statistics Canada released startling data about housing in our country, stating that nearly 17 per cent of people live in homes that are too expensive for their household income. Unfortunately, the numbers are even more alarming for recent immigrant Canadians (nearly 23 per cent), visible minorities (25 per cent) and those living below the poverty line (69 per cent).
For more than a decade, the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) Work with all levels of government, coalition organizations and others Find new ways to address this housing crisis without compromising durability, affordability, climate resilience or safety. This is such an important issue that we have made it the explicit theme of our meeting in Niagara Falls this May.
So while rapid and innovative action is needed to address housing affordability (and availability!), the federal government’s recent announcement to begin discussions on creating a catalog of house designs doesn’t seem to really address the current issue. This may be a tool in a multi-method toolkit, but it’s certainly not a one-size-fits-all solution. I don’t think this will significantly improve housing affordability in the province.
Recent articles on this subject in the general press appear to misunderstand the core issue and hold architects responsible for rising costs and delays in building homes—whether high-rise apartments or single-family townhouses. The myth is that not only does building design significantly drive up housing costs, but the implementation of this common schematic will make other obstacles easier to clear.
reader canadian architect We already know that architect fees are only a small part of the total cost of designing and building a home, and that the investment will pay for itself over time. In November 2021, the Architectural Design Alliance of Ontario (CDAO) released a report “The Impact of Pre-Project Investment and Document Quality on Project Delivery Efficiency”, which shows A mistake that costs $1,000 to fix during the design phase may cost $10,000 to fix during construction.
Home design catalogs created by the federal government can leave plenty of room for error. Standardized design does not take into account specific user needs, multi-generational families, flexibility to age in place, site-specific conditions, local bylaws (zoning, drainage, fencing, fill, parking, etc.) or municipal planning approval processes (site plan controls), infrastructure , forestry, heritage, etc.).
That is, the design directory able It is an effective method when it is one of many methods. It can serve as a starting point for discussions between client and architect about the basic requirements for a new home, while also providing a visual reference of typical room dimensions and layouts to help the design process move more quickly. However, it should be understood that in most cases the design process only accounts for a small portion of the actual construction time. Other longer processes such as municipal approvals, land development and construction itself require more time and money.
The idea behind this national collection of housing designs is similar to the School Directory developed by the Department of Education to assist individual school boards in designing new schools. But in this particular case, the concept is that these projects are already built and therefore thoroughly vetted at the provincial level to meet room size guidelines and costs. For K-12 projects, this approach can help individual school boards and local architects move through the initial schematic design process and required ministry approvals more quickly.
Regarding residential design and construction delays, the OAA has long made recommendations to address housing affordability across Ontario, with particular focus on the lengthy development approval processes faced by project proponents. In 2013, we commissioned research that found that “approximately half of applications take six months or more to be approved” in the province.
Before the pandemic, the OAA also noted in previous government submissions that city-by-city statistics were concerning, such as the City of Ottawa reporting in 2018 that even after setting a 105-day target for site plan approvals, The city also only managed to complete 28% of its “standard applications” to meet this goal. Just because a design comes from a catalog does not guarantee that the design will not face regulatory and planning hurdles.
With recent legislative developments in Ontario, such as the 60-day approval period under Bill 109, More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022, and the exemption for projects of 10 or fewer dwelling units under Act 23, Build more homes faster, In 2022, the government has begun to remove regulatory barriers. However, more needs to be done. It should also be noted that many municipalities are reluctant to adopt these changes, even with the assurance of substantial federal funding. I note that, as of this writing, my city of Windsor is one such community.
As OAA President, effectively addressing the housing affordability crisis involves a variety of approaches beyond the catalogue. These include:
- Yellow Belt areas are becoming increasingly dense Cities across Canada (e.g., Bill 23 allowed for triplexes in Ontario, and the City of Toronto further developed into quadruplexes), are therefore encouraging all levels of government to do so They are responsible for updating zoning permits to promote diversity in the housing stock G;
- Addressing the levers governments can use to make housing more financially attainable (For example Encourage smaller entry-level units, age-in-place housing alternatives, and larger family-sized units in all building types), as well as promote innovative design solutions to reduce project costs (e.g., by introducing vertical structures that optimize the use of existing structures) additions) and incentivize developers to build purpose-built rental housing by removing barriers such as the HST; and
- Engage all levels of government to improve energy efficiency as key to housing affordability— Retrofitting existing homes and building new homes to be more energy efficient not only benefits the environment, but is a key part of achieving housing affordability by reducing building operating costs.
Design catalogs certainly provide an option, but they don’t solve the problem by themselves. Again, the construction industry is not part of the problem but a key partner in finding solutions.
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