Housing that sustains: A case study of Bain Co-op and its historic buildings

This case study on a housing co-operative in Toronto and its historic buildings explores liveability and sustainability in multi-residential housing. It includes an analysis of the history of co-operative housing in Canada, public health and housing, and housing design methodologies that contribute to liveability and sustainability. Eco-social aspects of affordable housing design and the co-operative tenure model, as well as the aspects of housing that can contribute to human resiliency in a changing climate are also discussed. Primary data is drawn from resident questionnaires, expert interviews, and the author’s first-hand experience as a member-resident of Bain Co-op. This paper considers the archicultural significance of Bain Co-op’s housing built in the Arts and Crafts style, as one of the first social housing developments in Canada, and its associations with socialist, naturalist, and British colonial identities