At 55, Moshe Safdie’s Iconic Habitat 67 Faces a Reckoning

Inspired by nature and community, the residential complex continues to draw visitors. But some residents worry a 28-year-old developer could change the very fabric that makes it unique. By Nancy Keates Oct. 10, 2022 Tap story

Habitat 67, the residential complex in Montreal that architect Moshe Safdie designed for the 1967 World’s Fair, is still flooded almost daily with busloads of tourists and camera-wielding interlopers. Archive Photos/Getty

For residents, it isn’t so much how the building looks that makes it revolutionary—it’s how it feels to live there. “It is like nothing else,” says Marie-Astrid Lefebvre, a 36-year-old physician who grew up at Habitat and whose parents’ home is still there. “It is its own species.” Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

But the 55-year-old Habitat is now going through somewhat of a midlife crisis. The building needs a lot of structural work, including concrete-density tests, a new membrane for the roof, a sprinkler system in the garage and concrete cleaning to head off any future issues. Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

There is also controversy over the future of Habitat’s community, spurred in part by 28-year-old developer Francis Brunelle's purchase of 15 of the total 145 apartments over the past year. Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

Based on Mr. Safdie’s student thesis at McGill University in Montreal, Habitat was part of Expo 67, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of Canada’s confederation with the theme “Man and His World.” Bettmann Archive/Getty

The 12-story building was originally designed with 365 prefabricated cubes, each 624 square feet, which residents have combined to create bigger apartments over the years, balancing individual interests with preservation requirements. Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

The apartments are designed to resemble a hillside village, stacked, staggered and angled in a way that allows privacy. Each has terraces, access to gardens and a separate entrance to the outside through walkways. Oliver Parini for The Wall Street Journal

Shared amenities include clay tennis courts, garden space, outdoor areas with fire pits, a free shuttle bus and a parking garage that houses a small convenience store. Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

The roaring St. Lawrence River on one side, a popular spot for surfers, gives the building a resort-like feel, magnified by the chirping birds that careen through its outdoor passageways. Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

A recent increase in monthly dues (up about $114 in June to about $760 per cube) and a series of proposed assessments (the latest this year was $3,800 per cube) have been controversial. But management says more than 85% of the residents are fine with the increase. Oliver Parini for The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, Mr. Brunelle—the developer—is gut-renovating many of the units he owns and plans to rent them out as luxury apartments. Oliver Parini for The Wall Street Journal

“We are up in arms about what’s happening,” says Linda Duraes, 56, who has lived at Habitat since she and her second husband, Eduardo Franco, bought an apartment for $330,000 in 2012. The couple raised two of the six children they share at Habitat. Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Duraes says she values the mix of privacy and neighborliness and worries that too many renters could spoil that. “What if [Mr. Brunelle] goes broke?” she asks. “Our property values will plummet. Many residents are now wary of selling to him.” Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Safdie sent a letter to Habitat residents on Sept. 27 urging them to limit the number of units allowed to be owned and rented by an individual, saying the future of the community was at stake. On Sept. 29, the building’s shareholders narrowly passed a measure limiting ownership. It is still unclear how many units Mr. Brunelle will be allowed to rent out. Oliver Parini for The Wall Street Journal

In recent years, prices at Habitat have soared, with two-cube units now going for about US$610,000 compared with about $381,000 just six years ago. Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

Resident Dexter Peart says that even though Habitat is going through a transformation, he doesn’t think anything, including a developer, can change the feel of the community. “The energy of Habitat is set," he says. "It’s peaceful. Everyone gets to use the space as they see it." Oliver Parini for The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Peart, 50, and his wife, Maria Varvarikos Peart, 46, bought their three-cube apartment in 2006 for about $446,000 the morning after they first saw it. Oliver Parini for The Wall Street Journal

The couple, who have two young daughters, have renovated their apartment, putting in an extra bedroom, a library and an open kitchen. They thought about moving to a house, but couldn’t bear to leave. Oliver Parini for The Wall Street Journal

Most of the residents seem to agree that Habitat 67 is worth the work and money it requires to maintain its iconic architectural position, not just in Montreal but in the world. Dominique Lafond for The Wall Street Journal

As for the architect, Mr. Safdie says he is pessimistic about the possibility of another Habitat-like building in North America, in part because developers aren’t willing to take a risk or pay the price for such a deviation from the norm. Safdie at the complex. Oliver Parini for The Wall Street Journal Habitat 67 at a crossroads

Produced by Shay D. Cohen Photo editor: Kat Malott Habitat 67 at a crossroads