A national library of local housing designs

The Housing Design Catalogue offers a wide variety of home designs tailored to different regions across Canada. Each design reflects the needs, building codes and architectural styles of its region — while still fitting into a consistent national system.

To achieve this, CMHC divided the country into 7 regions with shared climate, code and construction characteristics. For each region, a lead architecture firm created designs that feel local but contribute to a larger, cohesive catalogue.

The result is a flexible library of homes. These designs can be used in many communities without losing their regional identity.

Built for local approval

One of the catalogue’s goals is to help speed up local approvals. That’s not easy, given the wide range of planning rules across the country. But change is happening. Many municipalities are updating their rules to support more gentle density. The Housing Accelerator Fund has helped drive this shift.

Resources like Small Housing’s Infill Development and Gentle Density Housing Bylaw Guide have also made it easier for municipalities to modernize their bylaws.

Designed for flexibility

From the start, it was clear a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t work. The construction industry is shaped by local codes, climates, and design traditions. That’s why regional variation is built into the catalogue. Designs are flexible and repeatable, but always grounded in the context they’ll be built in.

This balance — between national consistency and local relevance — makes it easier to build the homes Canadians need, where they need them.