Local architecture studio Modern Office of Design + Architecture has wrapped a multifamily housing development in wood siding and topped it with ramped roof gardens in Calgary, Alberta.Known as GROW, the project includes 20 residential units and a 0.6-acre (0.24 hectares) urban farm in a "seamless milieu that blurs interior and exterior, as well as private and public space".MODA has created a housing complex with a ramped rooftop garden in Calgary"In a world where 'housing' is slowly succumbing to a tool of capital, GROW hits the pause button, asking for more of where and how we live communally in urban environments," the Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA) team said.The four-storey building zigzags up from the ground in alternating bands of vertical wooden boards, in natural and blackened finishes, both punctuated with black-framed windows.It is covered by vertical planks of woodAbove the ground floor which is modulated with stoops along the streetside the roofline ramps up as the levels stack with a thin metal railing guiding the ascent.On the other side of the rectangular building, private terraces run the length of the facade, while embedded balconies are wrapped in rich-toned wood.The roofline ramps up as the floor stackThe ramps form an urban farm with rows of large planter boxes.The deck made of light-toned wood planks serves as a place for residents to enjoy a semi-private moment outdoors while in Calgary's inner city.The ramps are covered in plantersThe lush garden beds add textured blocks of green to the space.Inside, the housing units range from 450-square foot (42-square metre) studio to 600-square foot (56-square metre) condos and from 1.5-storey lofts to two-storey townhomes and have white walls and neutral flooring, using the greenery outside to add colour to the spaces.The back of the building has recessed wood-lined patios"This arrangement potentially places a retired couple next to a young family with children, or a single student next to a young professional, building resilience and social connections through proximity," the team said.Rather than confining moments of interaction for the residents only to places like the mailbox or elevator, MODA created a place where the residents could participate in a collective activity: urban farming.The building features multiple different housing typologies to facilitate diverse communityResidents across generations and demographics work together to care for the garden and sell harvested produce."This granular approach to place-making is critical to building resilient communities as we navigate increasing social division, and the severe health impacts of social isolation," the team said.Read: JSa and Mta+v create housing complex in Mexico City with three towersThe design prioritises "social engineering" and community building over the prevalent cost-cutting bottom lines of speculative housing development."If GROW's approach to 'social-engineering' were to become more prevalent in our inner-city communities, and we were to focus on building social capital in tandem with real estate capital, we could create more equitable and inclusive inner-city urban spaces; schools, community centres, and grocery stores that serve multiple purposes by design," the team said.The studio prioritised "social engineering" for the projectNearby, other large-scale projects that opened recently include the largest convention centre in western Canada by Populous, Stantec and S2 Architecture, complete with a sweeping copper-coloured canopy, and a recreation centre with an indoor park by Dialog.The photography is by Ema Peter Photography.Project credits:Architecture: Modern Office of Design + Architecture, Dustin Couzens, Ben Klumper, Nicholas Tam, Cara TretiakInterior design: Modern Office of Design + Architecture, Cara TretiakLandscape architecture: Modern Office of Design + Architecture, Nicholas TamUrban Farming consultant: YYC Growers, Rod OlsonEnergy modelling: EMBE Consulting Engineers, Moortaza Bhaiji, Paul CaicedoEnvelope/sustainability engineering: Williams Engineering, Hillary DavidsonCivil engineering: Richview Engineering, Robin LiStructural engineering: Wolsey Structural Engineering, Danny WolseyMechanical/electrical engineering: TLJ Engineering Consultants , Kevin VigBuilder: RNDSQR, Al DevaniClient: Andrei MetelitsaThe post MODA ramps rooftop garden along Calgary multifamily housing appeared first on Dezeen.