FUTURE SOCIAL

A Social Housing Design Competition

Brief
The UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture and the Ministry of Housing and Social Development on behalf of the Province of British Columbia are pleased to announce a jointly sponsored ideas competition.

Homelessness is a serious problem throughout the world and Vancouver is no exception. This competition seeks to generate innovative design ideas for Supportive Housing that meaningfully contribute to solving the problem of homelessness. 

At different points in time societies have created housing for the disadvantaged in a variety of ways. During the mid to late 20th Century the Federal Government of Canada operated national housing programs that included the creation of large scale public housing projects. These projects were developed and operated by the government. For a number of reasons these national programs have been abandoned. At the dawn of the 21st Century, the current system for the creation of new non-market housing for the economically disadvantaged foregrounds the role of non-profit organizations that build and operate housing projects. The provincial government administers funding to these non-profit organizations to hire design teams and develop sites in a relatively autonomous manner. This competition asks participants to consider new, future models of design within this contemporary system of housing delivery.

Social housing is a broad umbrella category that includes a spectrum of housing types that can include co-op housing and senior’s housing at one end and emergency shelters at the other. This competition focuses on housing for the homeless and/or those at severe risk of homelessness. Specifically, entrants are asked to design a ‘Supportive Housing’ facility. The exact nature of supportive housing is open to participants’ creative interpretation but should loosely be understood as housing that incorporates some sort of support services. Typical Vancouver examples of supportive housing usually incorporate a minimum of 2 support workers, on-site, within the building, at all times to help residents with any needs they may have. The residents of supportive housing often have health problems that frequently include physical disabilities, mental health disorders, and substance abuse/addiction problems. Support may extend to meal services, on-site nurses, counselors, and doctors in addition to programs such as job-training, recreation programs, and employment opportunities.

FUTURESOCIAL challenges you to envision innovative and exciting new types of design for this serious issue. This is your chance to make a real and positive impact for the betterment of Vancouver’s social conditions and built environment.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Housing Endowment Fund on this project.