‘Warmth, simplicity, and dignity’ part of design of affordable housing project in rural Ontario

A Toronto architectural firm threw convention out the window when designing an affordable housing project in tiny Beaverton, Ontario.

Designing the 47-bed building without making it look affordable was one of the main design drivers behind the Durham Modular Transitional Housing project in the Lake Simcoe community, with a Scandinavian architectural style chosen to make the building blend in with its surroundings.

“In a rural setting like Beaverton, the Scandinavian aesthetic aligns well with the surrounding vernacular architecture, echoing local barns, birch trees, and wood structures while offering a refined, contemporary interpretation that blends seamlessly into the community,” explained Daniel Ling, a principal with Montgomery Sisam Architects. “The Scandinavian-inspired design was also chosen to convey warmth, simplicity, and dignity – qualities not typically associated with affordable housing.”

Commissioned by the Region of Durham to address urgent housing needs, the project delivers 47 fully self-contained suites using an off-site prefabrication strategy that reduces construction time, waste, and emissions – all while maintaining a high level of craftsmanship.

As part of an initiative to rapidly address housing issues, Montgomery Sisam was asked to create a modular design that pushes the boundaries of what an affordable housing project typically looks like.

From an exterior that is not unlike a Scandinavian cottage to an interior that includes a reading nook, a community space with a fireplace, a spacious terrace and large windows with views to the surrounding landscape, the Durham Modular Transitional Housing is an affordable, innovative and sustainable residence that doesn’t quite look like one.

With a material palette inspired from vernacular architecture of the rural environment, including local grasses, surrounding rural wood barns and birch trees, the project features a sloped roof, dark exterior cladding and light wood accents, harmonizing with the existing built environment for a look that feels inviting and homelike rather than institutional

Ling said the style supports the project’s goal: to provide high-quality, transitional housing that doesn’t look like affordable housing.

The project expresses its modular construction through articulating connective joints, he said, while the interior takes moments to reveal module connections, such as in the double-height dining space, where the intersection of steel beams is left exposed.

The project is divided into two connected buildings tied together through a glazed one-storey link; one volume hosts the residences, while the other, more public volume houses services for the residents as well as the greater community, including a dining space, work rooms, meeting rooms, and wellness support offices.

The long sloped roof of the public building bridges the aesthetic connection between the neighbouring single-family homes and the larger multi-unit residence. Outdoor amenity features include an exterior garden, bike storage, tables for dining and basketball hoops.

The resident unit modules were constructed off-site, transported and installed on a compressed timeline.

Utilizing the prefabrication construction process ensured that quality control is particularly consistent, Ling explained, while the predictability of design and construction eliminated unforeseen costs, facilitated building assembly and site organization, and reduced waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Clad in natural and stained cedar, the project expresses its modular construction through articulated connective joints, “while the interior takes moments to reveal module connections, such as in the two-storey dining space, where the intersection of four steel beams is left exposed.”

As the project is sited in a natural setting, openings punctuating the envelope take full advantage of the views of the surrounding greenery.

Despite the aesthetics of the completed building, there were plenty of complaints and inter-council legal battles before shovels even hit the ground on the project, which had been in the works for several years and not without some controversy along the way.

After some pushback from residents about the building, Brock Township blocked the construction through a by-law, prompting a lawsuit from the region.

The two sides eventually came to an agreement, which included increased surveillance and a 30/20 split between homeless and ‘improperly housed’ people. The township also secured agreements for a full-time police officer and a family doctor as part of the agreement.

The delays helped nearly double the project budget to about $25 million due to inflation and a rise in construction costs linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Homelessness in Durham’s rural northern reaches has increased dramatically in the last few years, doubling between 2021 and 2014 and the Durham Modular Transitional Housing project is the first of its kind in the township.

Residents began moving in last November and the building is now fully occupied.

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