Federal government unveils designs as part of the Housing Design Catalogue

The federal government has released the final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building details as part of the Housing Design Catalogue, an initiative under Canada’s Housing Plan.

The catalogue features about 50 standardized housing designs for rowhouses, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory dwelling units across the country.

In January 2024, the Government of Canada began targeted engagements with key stakeholders, partners, and experts to inform the types of designs, features, and amenities in the Housing Design Catalogue.

In July 2024, the federal government launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the development of low-rise designs as part of the Housing Design Catalogue. The successful proponents of the RFP process were MGA | Michael Green Architecture for the British Columbia region and LGA Architectural Partners Ltd., who worked with five other teams of regional experts including Dub Architects, 5468796 Architecture, KANVA, Abbott Brown Architects, and Taylor Architecture Group.

The release of the final renderings, floor plan layouts, and key building details aims to provide a head start for homeowners, builders, and communities in their planning processes. The designs were developed by regional architecture and engineering teams, and focus on creating gentle density and infill development in existing neighbourhoods in all regions of Canada. The final architectural design packages will be released this spring.

In order to help ensure the Housing Design Catalogue supports the goals of Canada’s housing system, various principles were considered during the development phase including adaptability and accessibility, energy efficiency, financial feasibility, use of regional construction methods and materials, and compliance with local regulations and building codes.

The Housing Design Catalogue will help builders streamline the process from concept to construction, cutting costs and speeding up housing delivery once the final architectural design packages are ready. The catalogue also aims to simplify design, ensures compliance with building codes, and helps estimate costs so that homes can be built faster.

“These standardized designs will help smaller homebuilders cut through the complexity, speeding up the time between concept and construction and lowering costs of building,” said Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.

The federal government continues to work with provinces, territories, and municipalities to streamline and fast-track approvals for the standardized designs included in the Housing Design Catalogue. The designs cover all regions of the country: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces, and the territories.

Summary packages for each of the designs are currently available, which provide a high-level plan overview. Homeowners, builders, and communities interested in receiving updates on when the final architectural design packages are available can sign up on the Housing Design Catalogue webpage.