Habitat 67: An example to true Mixed-use, sustainable buildings?

The designer Moshe Safdie called it a 3D Modular building system. Born from his master's thesis at McGill University, Habitat 67 was Safdie's ambitious attempt to reinvent urban living by infusing the qualities of suburban homes into a high-rise complex. The building's inception coincided with Expo 67, a World's Fair that celebrated Canada's anniversary. Safdie, then a young, bold architect, proposed a housing model that would challenge the high-rise developments of the time. Habitat 67 emerged as a pioneering project, showcasing a radical departure from traditional apartment layouts by offering residents private gardens, fresh air, and ample natural light within a dense urban setting.

The design of Habitat 67 is a striking visual composition of 354 prefabricated concrete modules, or 'boxes,' stacked in varying configurations to form 146 residences. Each unit, ranging from one to eight linked boxes, boasts a rooftop garden, providing a personal outdoor space amidst the urban landscape. This architectural feat not only created a unique aesthetic but also promoted a sense of community through its interconnected walkways and terraces.

Moshe Safdie's vision was clear: to create a space where each resident could enjoy the privacy and greenery of a suburban home without sacrificing the conveniences of city living. The complex's design encourages social interaction while maintaining individual privacy, a balance that is often lost in conventional high-rise developments.

Habitat 67's impact extends beyond its architectural significance. It stands as a symbol of sustainable urban development, challenging the notion of urban sprawl. By vertically integrating living spaces with nature, Safdie's design offers a solution to the unsustainable practice of horizontal expansion that characterizes suburban sprawl. The compact footprint of Habitat 67 demonstrates that high-density living can be achieved without compromising the quality of life, thus preserving green spaces and reducing the environmental impact of urban growth.

The principles of New Urbanism align with Safdie's approach, advocating for walkable neighborhoods, diverse housing options, and community-oriented spaces. Habitat 67 predates this movement but embodies many of its ideals, suggesting that thoughtful architectural design can indeed mitigate the effects of urban sprawl, which is also a prevalent problem in our city, Addis Ababa.

Although the project is deemed as a success, it isn't the full version of Safdie's original design, which was scaled down due to financial constraints. After many decades, Safdie was able to see his vision in full, thanks to NEOSCAPE (an architectural visualization firm), who recreated a 3D rendering of his original design.

This type of innovative solutions challenges architects and city planners to think creatively about how we can build better communities. It also teaches us the importance of organizing events that give the platform for talented individuals to showcase and present unique solutions.

Ethiopia boasts not only cultural diversity, but also a varied climate with distinct landscapes and altitudes. This gives us an opportunity to try out different innovative and sustainable solutions to our infrastructure needs, instead of continuing with the current trend of unsustainable, and inefficient methods.

As our city Addis Ababa scrambles to solve the housing crisis, with many real estate developers trying to build as many houses as possible, we should ask ourselves:

• Are most of them sustainable, innovative and affordable to locals?
• Are these projects building communities?
• And are they having the intended impact?

Read more about Habitat 67 here:

How a 23-Year-Old Solved Urban Sprawl

Habitat 67 may be one of the most important building ideas of the 20th century and it is finally being completed today, just not in the way anyone thought.

Tim Gibson

Habitat ’67

365 construction modules connect to create 158 residences. These range in size from 600-square-foot one-bedroom dwellings to 1,800-square-foot four-bedroom dwellings. In all, there are fifteen different housing types. Stepped back in their modular placement, each residence has its own roof garden. Play areas for young children are provided throughout the building. Three elevator cores direct vertical circulation throughout the complex. Elevators stop at every fourth floor to serve pedestrian streets. The streets are continuous through the project, and access to the dwellings is directly off them. The project incorporates both covered parking for all tenants and additional visitor parking. In Habitat ’67 all the parts of the building, including the units, the pedestrian streets, and the elevator cores, participate as load-carrying members. The units are connected to each other by post-tensioning, high-tension rods, cables, and welding, all of which combine to form a continuous suspension system. The interior components were produced, assembled and installed into each box unit in the factory, with single-unit bathrooms of gel-coated fibreglass, kitchens manufactured by Frigidaire, and window frames made of Geon plastic.