Daniels Lecture: Catalogue Housing

This lecture introduces the work of ReHousing, a design-forward, non-profit organization addressing housing challenges through applied research, consultation, and education. ReHousing brings together practitioners from LGA Architectural Partners and academic collaborators from the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto to explore real-world housing solutions through interdisciplinary experimentation.

Over the past three years, the team has developed a catalogue-based approach to housing design, spanning scales from home-to-multiplex conversions to small-scale apartment buildings. This research investigates the relationship between building typologies and planning policy, resulting in commissioned zoning studies for the Cities of Toronto and Ottawa.

ReHousing’s methodology aligns with national initiatives led by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to expand small- and medium-scale infill housing. Both LGA and ReHousing have been selected by CMHC to develop projects that apply this catalogue-based approach. The lecture will present key research findings, highlight LGA’s commissioned National Housing Catalogue, and introduce ReHousing’s new web platform for citizen-developers, funded through CMHC’s Housing Supply Challenge. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how systematic, replicable design strategies can accelerate the delivery of much-needed housing across Canadian cities.