Attainable Homes Calgary - Bowness

Established in 2009, Attainable Homes Calgary is a non-profit social enterprise that delivers well-appointed, entry-level homes for Calgarians who have been caught in the city’s growing housing affordability gap. Together with development partners including Partners Development Group, Attainable Homes has delivered over 700 homes to families across Calgary.

Located in the established community of Bowness, this affordable housing project is inspired by the site’s diverse context including the neighbouring Sunnyside Greenhouses and CP Rail line. The scheme translates the form and rhythm of the nursery’s large agricultural sheds into a series of tightly-knit gabled structures. Nine individual buildings (50 units in total) are arranged to create a ‘buffer’ between the bustling commercial and industrial area to the east and the quiet residential neighbourhood to the west. The buildings’ sheet metal façades are carefully detailed to create depth and articulation. Inset panels of red, orange, and burgundy draw inspiration from the train cars of the adjacent CP rail line.

Client - Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation + Partners Development Group

Location - Calgary, AB, Canada

Status - Complete

Building Area - 69,750 sf

Award - 2017 Mayor’s Urban Design Award - Housing Innovation