BALTA Project A7 - Co-op Housing Futures: A Spatial Design Research Approach

Abstract

This proposal/plan describes a research project of the BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA) focusing on co-operative housing. The project involved a team of Environmental Design students at the University of Calgary working with the Sunnyhill Housing Co-operative in Calgary to explore options for its future using a design approach. Elements to be considered in the design were post-carbon urban living, socio-cultural, economic and ecological sustainability and resilience, as well as intensification and diversity of land uses. A subsequent stage of the process involved an evaluation of the design approach to explore its value as a methodology for other co-ops to use in planning.