Stories Behind Iconic Architecture: Habitat 67

Habitat 67, designed by the Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie as the Canadian Pavilion for the World Exposition of 1967, was originally intended as an experimental solution for high-quality housing in dense urban environments. Safdie explored the possibilities of prefabricated modular units to reduce housing costs and allow for a new housing typology that could integrate the qualities of a suburban home into an urban high-rise. The project originated as Safdie’s thesis at McGill University in 1961, titled "A Case for City Living" and described as "A Three-Dimensional Modular Building System". Two years later, when he was only 23 and interning in Louis Kahn’s studio, Safdie’s thesis advisor, Sandy Van Ginkel, invited him to submit his project for the World Exposition of 1967. It was accepted. By stacking concrete “boxes” in variant geometrical configurations, Safdie was able to break the traditional form of orthogonal high rises, locating each box a step back from its immediate neighbor. This ingenious method provided each apartment with a roof garden, a constant flow of fresh air and a maximum of natural light: qualities which were unprecedented for a twelve story apartment complex. Habitat 67 thus pioneered the integration of two housing typologies—the suburban garden home and the economical high-rise apartment building.