Crop Co-op: Co-operative Housing as an Ecological Living System | Bachelors Design Project

Site Context

The project is prompted by the proposed LRT line, planned to terminate at the Ainslie Station. Instead, the design repositions the terminal to allow for future extension, connecting more communities along the route. Major traffic is redirected away from the heart of Galt to Wellington Street, opening the city core for pedestrians. Two fragmented triangular sites are merged into one block shared between the new station and Crop Co-op. The program combines housing with public and semi-public spaces—a restaurant, daycare, art gallery, fitness studio, bike shop, soup kitchen, and social service offices—all centered around a courtyard that supports food growing and gathering. These functions overlap and support one another, creating a living infrastructure that connects mobility, food, and housing at the scale of the city.

Final Outcome

The project began with a simple question: how can housing remain affordable, adaptable, and sustainable without sacrificing space or quality of life? It set out to maximize outdoor space for growing while maintaining the same density and to explore how food production can become an everyday activity within housing. The goal was also to design residential units that could change to meet current and future needs without requiring new construction or additional material and energy use. This led to the development of a flexible six-bay unit module.

The same logic shaped the structure and envelope – a straightforward modular system designed to be efficient to assemble, high-performing in use, and easy to take apart at the end of its lifespan. To bring the growing idea into private space, each unit included its own outdoor area. The proposed sunroom system was designed to be independent from the superstructure, reimagining traditional balconies that typically penetrate the building envelope and create significant thermal bridging. In addition to providing a small greenhouse for each unit, the sunrooms also act as thermal buffers. Together, these design moves form a process centered on practicality, adaptability, and the lived experience of sustainable housing.

The final proposal explores how modular housing could integrate sustainability at multiple scales – from structure to daily life. The design sought to meet most daily needs of residents on site, moving toward a more self-sufficient model of living. The six-bay unit system was developed as a flexible framework, allowing for a flexible unit mix without additional construction or material and energy waste. 

The prefabricated grid and modular wall panels suggest a construction logic that could simplify assembly and make future disassembly practical. The independent sunroom system was imagined as a way to provide outdoor space for every unit while improving thermal performance and extending the potential for food growing at the private scale. 

Conclusion: Ultimately, these strategies together outline a housing model that remains adaptable, resource-conscious, and rooted in the act of growing – framing sustainability as both structural and lived.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]