TIME: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Description
The YW Kitchener-Waterloo Block Line 1 project delivered 41 units of supportive housing in under 12 months on budget, using mass timber, during a pandemic. The architectural decisions were central to making it possible.
This session uses Block Line 1 as a live case study to examine three interlocking lessons for architects working on affordable and supportive housing: how to design for mass timber prefabrication from the earliest stage of schematic design; how a Design-Build contractual structure reshaped the relationship between architect, contractor, and mass timber manufacturer; and how an unconventional public-sector partnership – including a City of Kitchener "Housing Concierge" who compressed municipal approvals from up to 12 months down to 72 days created the conditions for architectural innovation to succeed.
Presenters will draw direct lines between specific design decisions – structural grid optimization, exposed CLT ceilings, decentralized mechanical systems – and the project's compressed 20-day on-site assembly timeline. Architects will leave with a replicable framework for approaching affordable housing projects that demand speed, cost discipline, and prefabrication.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the key design decisions required when adapting a building for mass timber prefabrication, including structural grid optimization, CLT panel tolerances, and the integration of mechanical and electrical systems within an exposed timber assembly.
- Explain how a Design-Build contractual structure (CCDC-14) redefines the roles and responsibilities of the architect, general contractor, and prefabricator, and evaluate the trade-offs of this delivery model for affordable housing projects with tight timelines and budgets.
- Describe the financial structure underpinning the Block Line 1 project, including the role of the CMHC Rapid Housing Initiative grant, land contribution, and development charge exemptions, and explain how municipal process innovations such as the "Housing Concierge" role created the conditions for on-time, on-budget delivery.
- Apply lessons from the Block Line 1 case study to assess the replicability of mass timber Design-Build delivery for supportive and affordable housing projects in Ontario, including considerations of cost, schedule, prefabricator availability, and community engagement.
Presenters:
Dr. Lyndsey Rolheiser , Assistant Professor of Real Estate at the Schulich School of Business, York University
Dr. Lyndsey Rolheiser is an Assistant Professor at the Schulich School of Business, York University, specializing in housing policy, urban planning, and the economics of the built environment. Her recent research spans topics including climate resilience, economically resilient infrastructure, and the systemic conditions that enable affordable housing delivery — with presentations at Cornell University, UBC's Sauder School of Business, Statistics Canada, and CMHC. As a co-author of the Block Line 1 case study, she brings deep expertise in the policy and planning innovations — including the City of Kitchener's "Housing Concierge" model — that made the project's compressed approval and delivery timeline possible.
Lily Huang, Director of Product, Branch
Lily Huang is an architectural designer and researcher at the Schulich School of Business, York University, where her work focuses on innovative housing solutions for vulnerable populations. She brings eight years of architectural practice at KPMB Architects, followed by experience at Sidewalk Labs and in mass timber housing product development. She currently leads software product management at Branch, a next-generation design platform helping architects and designers advance sustainability, real-time structural sizing, and early concept development. Her research on the Block Line 1 project examines mass timber prefabrication as a replicable model for supportive housing delivery across Canada.
Lee Scott, Director of Sales, North America, Element 5
Lee Scott studied Biosystems Engineering at the University of Manitoba and received an MBA from the Saundermoen School of Business. Throughout his career Lee has worked as a legal and construction surveyor, a Civil Engineer, and now applies his extensive background in construction and design to his current role as Director of Sales for Element5 in North America.
Lee has worked on mass timber projects of all sizes and market segments across North America and has an intimate knowledge of the mass timber design for manufacturing and assembly process.
Pricing:
Licensed OAA Members: $42.50 + HST
OAA Interns and Students: $32.50 + HST
Non-Members: $63.00 + HST
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