Canada’s dire lack of affordable housing is front and center for a global audience in Italy this week, thanks to a collective of architects, researchers, activists and students focused on solutions. Architects Against Housing Alienation, or AAHA, launched its “mobilizing change” campaign at the 2023 Venice Biennale of Architecture this week. The event runs May 20 to Nov. 26. As part of a UBC study abroad course, 15 students from UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture are staffing the Canada pavilion work space with AAHA’s interactive display entitled “Not for sale!” and leading guided tours plus on-site workshops. The group has outlined 10 demands to government—including returning land to Indigenous Peoples and tapping underutilized land for unhoused people—with specific strategies to address safe, equitable and affordable housing alternatives. Watch the video and read more.
The Canada Pavilion's Land Back Courtyard at Italy's global Venice Biennale of Architecture May to November 2023 (photo: Maris Mezulis)
Find out about UBC’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Read more about the collective Architects Against Housing Alienation.