Concours national de modèles d'habitation 1979 (Vancouver) / National Housing Design competition 1979 (Vancouver)
1979
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada- Domestic architecture
- Complexes
- Allotment
The 1979 National Housing Design Competition was held by its sponsors to seek excellent concepts for housing in Canada in the 1980s. More particularly, the sponsors wished competitors to address themselves to three issues which were perceived to be of great new importance for Canada. The first of these was increased density in residential neighbourhoods. Where former competitions held by CMHC had emphasized the importance of the well-designed single-family house, this competition concentrated instead on more compact densities of housing ranging from 25 to 75 dwelling units per hectare.
At the same time that the competition focussed on higher densities, it was also structured to accommodate logical variations in density, which would be appropriate to the specific sites selected across the country, Saint John, New Brunswick, in the Atlantic Region; Shawinigan, Quebec; Mississauga, Ontario; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in the Prairie Region; and Vancouver, British Columbia. The densities selected were all established to represent what might be thought of as "medium density" for their region. The sponsors of the competition also hoped to allow for the expression of any indigenous variation in housing form which might be expected to emerge from such a regional structure.
Finally, the sponsors wished to see Canadian architects respond to the new challenge of increased conservation of energy. Accordingly they introduced this criterion of evaluation into the various regional competitions, alongside the more familiar considerations of liveability in the unit, well-planned outdoor living areas, good environments for children's play, and effective site planning.
Five separate juries of distinguished architects and housing experts within the various regions were selected to evaluate the results of the competition. Eighty-eight submissions were received in the following regional breakdown:
Atlantic Region 17
Quebec Region 15
Ontario Region 22
Prairie Region 19
British Columbia Region 15
(From competition program)
At the same time that the competition focussed on higher densities, it was also structured to accommodate logical variations in density, which would be appropriate to the specific sites selected across the country, Saint John, New Brunswick, in the Atlantic Region; Shawinigan, Quebec; Mississauga, Ontario; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in the Prairie Region; and Vancouver, British Columbia. The densities selected were all established to represent what might be thought of as "medium density" for their region. The sponsors of the competition also hoped to allow for the expression of any indigenous variation in housing form which might be expected to emerge from such a regional structure.
Finally, the sponsors wished to see Canadian architects respond to the new challenge of increased conservation of energy. Accordingly they introduced this criterion of evaluation into the various regional competitions, alongside the more familiar considerations of liveability in the unit, well-planned outdoor living areas, good environments for children's play, and effective site planning.
Five separate juries of distinguished architects and housing experts within the various regions were selected to evaluate the results of the competition. Eighty-eight submissions were received in the following regional breakdown:
Atlantic Region 17
Quebec Region 15
Ontario Region 22
Prairie Region 19
British Columbia Region 15
(From competition program)