Building housing — quickly
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By Brent Bellamy, Architect + Creative Director
Originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press
The federal government is trying to tackle Canada’s housing crisis by working directly with cities through a $4-billion program called the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). The initiative is designed to help cities rapidly increase the number of homes being built to level market demand and in turn stabilize housing costs and increase affordability.
Image: An example of a new fourplex infill development in Winnipeg’s St. Boniface neighbourhood. Photo - Brent Bellamy.
Portage Place and a second chance
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By Brent Bellamy, Architect + Creative Director
Originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press
From Rosser Avenue in Brandon to Yonge Street in Toronto, Canadian cities of every shape and size built a downtown indoor shopping mall in the 1980s. These developments were a last desperate salvo in the battle between traditional main street retail and the new suburban shopping mall.
Image: A 2023 architectural rendering of a revitalized Portage Place. The anchor use for the redevelopment will be the Downtown Winnipeg Health Centre for Excellence, including a new tower with a range of medical facilities and services. (Architecture49)
Nine ideas for the province and Winnipeg
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By Brent Bellamy, Architect + Creative Director
Originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press
Nine city-building ideas that Manitoba’s new provincial government might consider to make Winnipeg a more livable and prosperous city.
Image: From tree planting to building houses, there are plenty of paths to an improved Manitoba for the city and provincial governments. Photo - Mikaela MacKenzi/Winnipeg Free Press
Housing fund just one piece of the puzzle
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By Brent Bellamy, Architect + Creative Director
Originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press
The amount of ink being spilled over Canada’s housing crisis is enough to make the global climate crisis feel neglected and envious.
The post-pandemic spike of Canada’s housing costs, particularly rental rates, has politicians tripping over each other to announce their solutions. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has identified that to stabilize housing costs by levelling market demand, Canada must add 3.5 million more homes (170,000 in Manitoba) to its current construction rates by 2030. This number has been repeated so often that it has reduced the public discourse about housing affordability to one of mere housing supply.
Image: A new housing development at 197 Osborne St. is an example of creating density in an existing neighbourhood. Photo - Supplied.
Setting the tone in Morden
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By Brent Bellamy, Architect + Creative Director
Originally published in the Winnipeg Free Press
Imagine strolling through a great neighbourhood where the streets are lined with majestic trees and new houses sit alongside those that have stood for generations. The sound of laughter fills the air as children skip past you on their way to school.
On the commercial street at the end of the block, a bakery’s aroma entices you, but you continue. The unique storefront window displays draw you in and slow your pace. Entering your favourite coffee shop, the barista nods and starts your regular order. You head to the corner to enjoy your drink in a pocket park that just last night was filled with neighbours enjoying a local band.
This is a picture of urbanism. It’s what attracts people to live in dense, urban communities like Winnipeg’s Corydon area.
Image: Stephen Street General store in Morden. Principles of good urbanism can be successful from the largest cities to the smallest rural centres. Photo by Brent Bellamy.
Number TEN Blog
Number TEN Inspired! captures the knowledge, passion and ideas of our award winning architects, interior designers and supporting staff, as they navigate through the complexities of the modern design landscape. We are creative problem solvers, advocates for better ways of doing things, and observers of all that is interesting and noteworthy in our field. This blog is our effort to share our knowledge and ideas in a way that resonates with everyone. Whether you work in the industry as an architect, interior designer, building manager, property developer, or are just someone with an interest in creativity and new ways of doing things, this blog has something for you.
