HABITAT 67
ARCHITECTURE
ARCHITECTS
STUDIOPRACTICE
WWW.STUDIOPRACTICE.CA
PHOTO
ADRIEN WILLIAMS & GORGIN FAZLI
H67 STUDIO
PRACTICE
Habitat 67, an iconic architectural landmark not only in North
America but also across the world, marked a beginning.
T
he beginning of an
organic, dynamic
and democratic
residential space,
where every citizen
has its own unique light and
space.
This beautifully designed
and executed masterpiece
catapulted the carriers of
Moche Sadie and his team,
and inspires architecture ever
since. This influence can be
found in Ricardo Boffil’s kafka
castle (1968), Kisho Kurokawa’s
Nkagin Capsule Tower (1972)
and even recently in BIG’s
mountain Dwelling (2008).
Our project consisted of
refurbishing a Habitat 67 unit
that was remodeled many
times in the past, adding layers
of opacity to the original
design. As a result, our primary
challenge was to renew with its
past design philosophy.
Functional but minimal design
of open space was hence
chosen as a medium to obtain
this concept. This was obtained
by removing all interior walls
to optimize light management
and by adding transparency
and reflection of glass to the
exposed original cement walls.
A modern touch of moving
cubes were introduced in
the interior design of the
apartment, recalling the fact
that these hanging boxes attain
equilibrium, in the background
of moving water. A conversation
between inside and out was
consequently restored, in
this modern times version of
hanging gardens.
Integrating the qualities of a
suburban home into an urban
high-rise, through a medium
of prefabricated forms was
81
a revolutionary concept that
rethought the apartmentbuilding design in 1967; and
we revived this concept, in
a weightless and panoramic
environment of hanging
concrete, in 2015.