Strata Visionaries: Habitat 67

Sometimes strata title is visionary and not mundane, routine or boring.

Like Habitat 67.

Perched on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal, Habitat 67 remains one of the most striking and visionary housing developments of the 20th century. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie as part of his master's thesis at McGill University and later built for Expo 67, the World’s Fair.

Habitat 67 redefined what high density housing could look like.

Rather than stacking identical units in a monotonous tower, Safdie proposed a modular system of interlocking concrete boxes, each with its own private terrace, natural light, and garden space. The result was a vertical village that combined the benefits of suburban homes: privacy, green space, individuality, with the spatial efficiency of apartment living.

Comprising 354 concrete “boxes” arranged into 146 residences, Habitat 67 challenged traditional notions of apartment blocks by offering residents a sense of ownership and identity, all while achieving a much higher population density than detached homes.

At its core, Habitat 67 was an attempt to humanise high rise living and make it desirable, not just necessary. While its radical design was costly and never mass-produced as intended, it ignited a global conversation about how cities could grow up [literally and figuratively] without sacrificing quality of life.

Today, Habitat 67 stands as both a modernist icon and a still-relevant prototype for rethinking high-density housing in the age of urban overcrowding and housing shortages. It didn’t just stack people—it elevated the idea of how they could live.

Find out more about Habitat 67 here.