As part of an initiative to rapidly address housing issues, Montgomery Sisam Architects has created a modular design that pushes all the boundaries of what an affordable housing project typically looks like.

From an exterior that resembles a Scandinavian cottage to an interior that includes a reading nook, a community space with a fireplace, a spacious terrace, and large windows with views of the surrounding landscape, the Durham Modular Transitional Housing is an affordable, innovative, and sustainable residence.

The housing features a material palette inspired by the vernacular architecture of the rural environment, including local grasses, surrounding rural wood barns, and birch trees. The project features a sloped roof, dark exterior cladding, and light wood accents, harmonizing with the existing built environment.

The project expresses its modular construction through articulating connective joints, while the interior takes moments to reveal module connections, such as in the double-height dining space, where the intersection of steel beams is left exposed.

The Region of Durham commissioned the Durham Modular Transitional Housing project to address urgent housing needs. The project delivers 47 fully self-contained suites using an off-site prefabrication strategy that reduces construction time, waste, and emissions.