My Recent Visit to Habitat ‘67
Warm Autumn Greetings to you! I trust this finds you and yours happy and healthy as we head into the cooler months ahead. Thanksgiving has just come and gone. Our family was able to spend the holiday with my parents who visited from Vancouver Island; they came for Thanksgiving but also for my daughter’s 16th birthday! The “sweet 16” feels like a big milestone and is a birthday that must be celebrated (which we did). I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. There is always much to reflect upon and give thanks for.
Immediately following Thanksgiving, James and I travelled to Montreal for five days where he attended a conference, and I took the opportunity to catch up on some rest, reading, and exercise. Walking up Mt. Royal was a special treat. I also visited a few antique vendors and art galleries to keep my design eye sharp! James has some family in the city, so it was also lovely to see them.
One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the iconic Habitat 67, a multi family residential building designed by architect Moshe Safdie. Safdie was only 24 when he received the commission – a challenging and exciting opportunity! The mandate was to design and build an innovative building for Expo ’67 held in Montreal. Safdie had 4 years to complete the project and had aspirations of it being a low-cost endeavor (though he wasn’t overly successful on that point). These parameters, along with his philosophy of community living and connection with nature, led him to create what is known as Habitat ’67.
Architect Moshe Safdie
Pictured at Habitat ‘67 Montreal, QC
Habitat ’67 Quick Facts:
365 Identical, Pre-Fabricated Concrete Forms
Each Form Measures 38 ft 5 in × 17 ft 5 in × 9 ft 10 in
158 Residences
1 Rooftop Terrace Garden per Block
Residences range in size from 600-square-foot one-bedroom dwellings to 1,800-square-foot four-bedroom dwellings
15 Different Housing Types
Reaches up to 12 Residential Storeys
Cost 12 Million CAD to Build
Listing Prices Today Range from $500K to $1.5M
I won’t get into much more of the history here because you can read all about it online, but I thought I would offer my viewpoint on what makes the building so iconic.
Safdie has a reputation for building high-density housing with large balconies, shared gardens and open spaces. These features are prominent at Habitat 67 and major contributors to what makes the building so appealing. Grand, open, outdoor spaces provide opportunities for connecting with neighbours while also enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings. Habitat sits on a peninsula in the St. Lawrence River which means there are water and city views on all sides. There were spectacular fall colours when I visited.
There is also a strong connection to the natural surroundings from within the units themselves as they boast floor to ceiling windows; Safdie designed the window frames to be hidden within the walls, so there is very little that obstructs your view of the outdoors. Today we know how important it is for humans to connect with nature, and at Habitat 67, you very much get that feeling and connection. It really is biophilic design at its finest.
“Biophilic design is a concept used within the building industry to increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions.”
The interior of the residence we toured reflects original design details and features; Safdie himself lived in the unit for a time. The overall aesthetic is minimal and modern – simple but striking. The unit isn’t furnished or decorated. There was apparently a competition for decorators to submit their plans for furnishing and decorating the units when they were first built. Many of these submissions were considered “ghastly” by Safdie who preferred a subdued, modern look. (I don’t know if he would have used that exact word, but that was his overall feeling I’m told.)
On a personal note, my uncle, who is now in his 80s, was in Montreal in the 60s and worked on creating the concrete forms that make up each of the rectangular blocks. He then went back to Saskatchewan and built his own home along the North Saskatchewan River using similar methods and concrete materials.
If you’re visiting Montreal at some point in the future, I would highly recommend the tour which was in either French or English and 1.5 hours long. Our tour guide, Francois, was excellent! We had the opportunity to see the building from many outdoor vantage points as well as being able to enter one of the units which has been maintained / restored to its original state (as I mentioned).
I’m coming away from the visit with inspiration and the challenge to think deeply about the design and decorating choices I make. Thoughtful, human-centered design is the best design and does stand the test of time.
