Architecture Without Borders Quebec (AWBQ) is delighted to announce the launch of its new research catalogue, Architecture + Homelessness: Research on Living Environments and Their Design (2025).

The publication was the subject of an event on September 9th that brought together roughly 100 participants from the community, research, and municipal sectors at the Esplanade Tranquille in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles.

It was an opportunity to hear Carolyne Grimard, professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Montreal, and Sonia Blank, architect and research officer at ASFQ, discuss several case studies (post-occupancy studies) conducted across Canada. Both shared the research process that drew on the experiences of residents of transitional and permanent housing, as well as those of architects and community workers.

Launch of the catalogue Architecture + Homelessness: Research on Living Environments and Their Design Photo credit: Youssef Shoufan

A unique reference tool for in-depth analysis of the connections between urban planning and the well-being of homeless people, the book combines interviews, photo-voice workshops, and field observations, in addition to cross-analysis of data. It is a continuation of the activities of the Architecture + Homelessness: Inclusive Practices for a Supportive City (2023) catalogue of practices and is available online in French and English.

It should be noted that this catalogue is the result of a collaboration between ASFQ and the School of Social Work at the University of Montreal that began in 2021, which led to a three-part research program (2023-2025) aimed at deepening knowledge about development practices that promote the well-being of people experiencing homelessness (PEH), or are at risk of homelessness.

Photo credit: AWBQ

The ultimate goal of this initiative is to demonstrate that the quality of the built environment and of community support is a determining factor in the welfare of residents, in addition to serving as a lever for advocating for more suitable, better designed, and sustainable spaces.

This publication, edited by Professor Carolyne Grimard, was written by Sonia Blank, research officer at ASFQ, and Véronic Lapalme, Sarahlou Wagner-Lapierre, and Elizabeth Prince, research collaborators, with significant contributions from Maira Gonzalez and Olivia Daigneault-Deschênes, project managers at ASFQ, the Collectif Dehors de Dehors, and Quan Thai, architect and emerging practitioner-researcher at the University of Waterloo. This publication was made possible thanks to funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) SNL Research and Planning Fund.

Carolyne Grimard, professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Montreal, and Sonia Blank, architect and research officer at ASFQ, at the launch of the Architecture + Itinérance: Études sur des espaces de vie et leur conception (Architecture + Homelessness: Studies on Living Spaces and Their Design) catalogue at the Esplanade Tranquille on September 9, 2025.
Photo credit: Youssef Shoufan

The team would like to express its deep gratitude to everyone who participated in this research—partner organizations, project managers, architects, and residents—for their generosity, time, and experiences.