A virtual micro-conference on housing innovation
| | | | | | | | The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) is excited to be hosting a virtual micro-conference in collaboration with LGA Architectural Partners. The "Single Stair Sessions" will offer a series of discussions on housing innovation and alternative solutions to improve the feasibility of multiplexes and small apartment buildings. These sessions will bring together leading architects, engineers, and building code experts to explore how alternative building code compliance can benefit ‘missing middle’ building designs to expand housing options in urban areas. Don't miss this chance to explore smart solutions for Canada’s housing challenges! This knowledge mobilization event is supported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Housing Supply Challenge – Round 4: Building for the Future, which supports innovative solutions that remove barriers to increasing housing supply in Canada. | |
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| Day 1 - The 3 Ps: Pilot Projects and Prototypes March 18, 12:00-1:30pm ET |
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| | Partner | LGA Architectural Partners Janna Levitt co-founded LGA Architectural Partners in 1993 with a vision to create spaces that drive cultural and environmental change. Through research, public consultation, and design, she works to advance equity, wellness, and community while mentoring the next generation of designers. Her notable projects include the MABELLEarts Pavilion and Park, a dynamic community hub for newcomers to Canada; Evergreen Brickworks’ Kiln Building 16, a historic Toronto landmark transformed into a carbon-neutral event and education center; Stackt, an evolving retail and cultural hub built from shipping containers; and Rehousing, an online resource empowering citizen developers to convert single-family homes into multi-unit housing. Janna has held teaching positions at the University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, and Dalhousie University and serves on Toronto’s Waterfront Design Review Panel. A Fellow of the RAIC, she has received awards from the OAA and the Canadian Green Building Council and was named one of Azure Magazine's top 30 “Essential Women in Architecture and Design.” |
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| | Senior Associate | LGA Architectural Partners Kevin Martin has extensive experience working on community, cultural, commercial, and residential projects in New York and Toronto. Specializing in master planning, rezoning, and site plan approvals, he has led major multi-use housing developments. His work includes collaborations with Indigenous communities, such as the University of Toronto Scarborough Indigenous House and the Sky Canoe Headquarters on Scugog Island First Nation. Currently, he is managing the Mount Dennis Quilt mixed-use affordable housing project for the Learning Enrichment Foundation. He also recently completed the pre-design phase for the Forestwood Drive intensification project in Mississauga, which will add 400–500 affordable housing units and create a vibrant public space. |
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| | Project Manager| LGA Architectural Partners Conrad joined LGA Architectural Partners as a project manager for ReHousing the Yellowbelt, a research collaboration with the University of Toronto exploring ways to gently increase housing density in residential neighborhoods. He holds degrees from McGill University and the University of Waterloo and has worked with architects in Vancouver, Berlin, and Tokyo. Passionate about making housing more accessible, Conrad focuses on building code and zoning reform, with expertise in designing 'missing middle' and mid-rise residential buildings. He also shares his insights as a guest speaker at the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, discussing housing policy and smart growth solutions. He is currently the Project Manager for the CMHC Housing Supply Challenge. |
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| | Inge is an Associate Professor at UBC SALA and founding Principal at AIR studio, an internationally awarded research-in-practice architecture design firm in Vancouver and Stuttgart. As a Passive House trained professional, Inge’s practice is centered on inclusion, health and wellbeing of people and planet. Over the last 20 years, Inge has worked on mid-size buildings with a focus on multi-generational and purpose-built housing. Inge’s academic research investigates social issues arising through the mismatch between people and the spaces they inhabit. Her work explores how to create meaningful housing solutions for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. She frequently consults with cities and community-based organizations on these issues. |
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| | Director | mcCallumSather As a Director and Architect at mcCallumSather, Matt combines a deep understanding of conventional construction with advanced research and innovative development initiatives. Specializing in multi-residential building design, his expertise spans small-scale urban infill, mid-rise, and multi-phased high-rise developments. His leadership plays a key role in addressing the complex challenges of residential design, from supportive and affordable housing to rental properties, market developments, and high-end condominiums. |
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| | Uros is a versatile designer and researcher with experience ranging from large-scale urban master plans to small residential renovations. His work explores the intersection of architecture and ideology, particularly through the lens of Slavoj Žižek’s philosophy. His strategic thinking was instrumental in planning the new National Museum Complex of South Korea. Before co-founding Office Ou, Uros worked with sustainability-focused design firms worldwide. At A00 Architecture in Shanghai, he contributed to pioneering modern rammed-earth construction, while at Kiss + Cathcart in New York, he played a role in developing the city's first LEED-certified subsidized housing project. In Belgrade, he served as the lead designer for the University of Belgrade’s new Faculty of Biology building. His architectural experience also extends to Toronto, Edinburgh, and beyond. Currently, Uros is co-authoring a book on Productive Urban Landscapes and has contributed to peer-reviewed global public health research. |
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| | | | Day 2 - The 2 Ss: Safety and Sustainability March 19, 12:00-1:30pm ET |
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| | Research Director | Bengt Dahlgren Brand & Risk Axel Mossberg is a senior fire safety consultant and the research director of one of the largest fire safety consultancies in Sweden. Axel holds a PhD in Fire Safety Engineering from Lund University, where he studied evacuation behaviour related to elevator evacuation. He has specialized in complex building projects and is one of the most experienced fire safety designers of high-rise buildings in Sweden. Axel is also an active expert in national and international fire safety design standardization. |
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| | Project Architect, Facility Planning and Design | Before finding architecture, Ian Mulder worked for many years as an artist producing murals, developing educational programs and working with communities throughout Canada and beyond. He later trained as an architect (M. Arch, University of Toronto) and helped design and manage a variety of commercial and institutional projects. Ian Mulder is currently an architect with the City of Edmonton’s facility planning group, and Chair of the Edmonton chapter of RAIC. |
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| | Director | Trigon Fire Safety A Chartered Engineer with more than 18 years of experience, Karl gained his qualifications in Civil and Structural Engineering at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. He has established himself as a respected fire safety professional by developing innovative fire safety solutions for new, existing, listed and heritage buildings. With a view to the future of the fire safety industry, he is also a tutor at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany and currently a member of the SFPE Task Group for the Performance-Based Design Standards Making Committee. He served as the President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) UK Chapter from 2018 to 2024 and regularly organizes international conferences for SFPE. |
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| | Founding Partner | Schemata Workshop Mike is an architect and a founding partner of Schemata Workshop, a Seattle-based architecture and urban design practice. His work focuses on enhancing the experience of living in and moving through the Cascadia region, recognizing that civic and personal well-being are deeply connected. He believes thoughtful design plays a crucial role in fostering social cohesion and community resilience. His interdisciplinary and collaborative approach engages the entire design team to create high-performance buildings and environments. Mike is a past co-chair and current member of the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict Steering Committee, which recently earned certification as one of the first EcoDistricts in the nation under the imperatives of Equity, Resilience, and Climate Protection. He also chairs the AIA Seattle Committee on Adaptation & Resilience. Mike is a founder and developer of Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing, where he lives with his family and works in the street-level commercial space of a transit- and pedestrian-oriented community. |
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| | Architectural and Building Technologist |GHL Consultants Ltd Morgan Tritthart is an Architectural Technologist graduate from Red River College. With a passion for design and building, Morgan brings a deep understanding of Building Science and Building Codes to the GHL team. Over the past five years, he has honed his expertise in construction, surveying, and team leadership. |
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| | Co-founder | Ha/f Climate Design Ryan is passionate about the communal stories that connect people to materials and city-building. A McMaster Fine Arts graduate, his work explored circularity, repair, and material exchange in Hamilton. At Ha/f Climate, Ryan has advanced life cycle assessment in architectural offices across Canada to drive immediate carbon reduction in the built environment. He leads the Ha/f Research Seminar at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture. |
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| | | | | Addressing Canada's Housing Supply: Can Regulations Drive Housing Innovation? March 20, 12:00-1:00pm ET |
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| | Alkarim is dedicated to expanding middle housing and gentle density across Canada’s established neighborhoods, creating sustainable, walkable communities with vibrant local businesses and existing infrastructure. Rooted in his hometown of Calgary, he is committed to improving urban life and connectivity. As President of RNDSQR and a Doctorate of Design candidate at the University of Calgary, Alkarim grounds his work in research and practice. He also serves on the boards of the Calgary Housing Corporation, the city’s largest affordable housing provider, and D.Talks, an organization promoting design discourse. Now, as co-founder and CEO of mddl, he is leading a nationwide effort to educate, empower, and advocate for middle housing. His work involves collaborating with citizen developers, municipalities, and industry experts to implement innovative, scalable programs that simplify and support sustainable housing solutions across Canada. |
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| | Managing Principal | Scorgie Planning Blair Scorgie is a Registered Professional Planner and Urban Designer with over fifteen years of relevant consulting and academic experience. He is the Managing Principal of Scorgie Planning as well as a Sessional Lecturer at Toronto Metropolitan University and the University of Waterloo. Blair has directed and managed projects for a variety of public, private and not-for-profit sector clients. His diverse and extensive project experience includes growth management strategies, municipal-wide official plan and zoning by-law reviews, secondary plans, master plans, urban design guidelines, development approvals, mediation, and expert witness testimony." |
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| | Adjunct Professor, School of Cities | University of Toronto Dr. Carolyn Whitzman is a housing and social policy researcher specializing in scaling up affordable and nonmarket housing supply. She is an Adjunct Professor and Senior Housing Researcher at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, where she focuses on expanding housing solutions. She has served as an expert advisor to UBC’s Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project, which developed best practices for assessing housing needs, utilizing government land for nonmarket housing, and acquiring nonmarket properties—work that has influenced federal policy. Carolyn is the author, co-author, or lead editor of six books, including Home Truths: Fixing Canada’s Housing Crisis (2024), and has contributed to over 80 publications on urban policy and the right to the city. Previously, she was a Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Melbourne (2003–2019) and a Senior Policy Planner at the City of Toronto (1989–1999). She has advised national, provincial, and local governments, UN agencies, and both private and non-profit organizations. |
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| | Executive Lead | Small Housing Dan is a non-profit leader and housing advocate dedicated to driving solutions for housing affordability. As Executive Lead at Small Housing, he champions gentle density housing—smaller, more affordable homes that fit within existing neighbourhoods. Dan works closely with government, industry, and community partners to advance policies and funding that support accessible housing options. With a background in strategic communications, advocacy, and organizational growth, Dan’s career has focused on making housing more attainable for British Columbians. His collaborative approach helps bridge policy, development, and finance, ensuring gentle density plays a key role in addressing the housing crisis. |
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| | Partner | LGA Architectural Partners Janna Levitt co-founded LGA Architectural Partners in 1993 with a vision to create spaces that drive cultural and environmental change. Through research, public consultation, and design, she works to advance equity, wellness, and community while mentoring the next generation of designers. Her notable projects include the MABELLEarts Pavilion and Park, a dynamic community hub for newcomers to Canada; Evergreen Brickworks’ Kiln Building 16, a historic Toronto landmark transformed into a carbon-neutral event and education center; Stackt, an evolving retail and cultural hub built from shipping containers; and Rehousing, an online resource empowering citizen developers to convert single-family homes into multi-unit housing. Janna has held teaching positions at the University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, and Dalhousie University and serves on Toronto’s Waterfront Design Review Panel. A Fellow of the RAIC, she has received awards from the OAA and the Canadian Green Building Council and was named one of Azure Magazine's top 30 “Essential Women in Architecture and Design.” |
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| This knowledge mobilization event is supported by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Housing Supply Challenge – Round 4: Building for the Future, which supports innovative solutions that remove barriers to increasing housing supply in Canada. |
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