ARCH_419 International Housing Studio: ‘Halifax. – E Mari Merces – From the Sea, Wealth’

Halifax, the largest city in Atlantic Canada, is a small but vibrant and progressive city where over 40 percent of the provincial population resides within the metropolitan area. Since its founding in 1749, Halifax Harbor has played a central role in the physical, cultural, and economic character of the city. Its bustling port is home to the Canadian Atlantic Navy and major container shipping operations and it is a frequent port of call for passenger vessels. The Halifax Regional Municipality is an amalgamation of towns lining the harbor, with the urban core built on a peninsula anchored by the Citadel. In 1917, much of the City was leveled by an explosion caused by the collision of two vessels in the harbor—one laden with munitions—that killed thousands and required much of the city to be reconstructed. While Halifax is the regional center of government, commerce, education, and culture, much of the city’s growth has been decidedly suburban in nature. A recent wave of development in the urban core is transforming and densifying this growing city. Capitalizing on this renaissance, students investigated the design of new residential developments that embrace the city’s coastal legacy, add to the vitality and density of the urban core, and enliven its public spaces.