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Avi Friedman

Avi Friedman

Housing Guru

Friedman is the author of numerous books and has been published extensively in both ac...

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Avi Friedman is widely recognized around the world as Canada’s guru on housing innovation. That claim is backed by Wallpaper, an international design magazine, which includes him in its top-10 list of people “most likely to change the way we live.”

A professor of architecture at McGill University in Montreal, Friedman has won awards for his work in home design, community development and sustainability. His research focuses on factors that influence the design and implementation of affordable and sustainable building practices at the unit and community level – this includes market acceptance, construction and resource efficiency.

Friedman is the author of numerous books and has been published extensively in both academic and trade publications. He has also designed three housing prototypes, which were built as full-scale demonstration projects. One of the prototypes, The Grow Home (co-designed with Witold Rybczynski), is a narrow-front rowhouse that has received immense media attention. It has since been built in numerous communities across North America and Europe.

The 21st century offers a “perfect storm” of challenges and opportunities for society, according to Friedman. Sustainability forms the thrust of his approach where social, environmental, economic and cultural aspects are regarded as integrated elements that propel prosperity and self-esteem.

Avi Friedman will share his principles on sustainability, illustrating the application of his work on regional master planning, neighbourhood design, urban renewal, and conception of prototypes for new dwellings. A passionate speaker, he projects a clear vision of the future in home design, and will change the way you think about our priorities as a society.

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An Evening With Avi Friedman

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Avi Friedman: Thinking Outside the Box on Affordable Housing
Avi Friedman - Housing Guru

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