Reading in the City: The Little Red Reading House

March 1, 2021 in Reading in the City

This might sound obvious, but reading is really important. Many of us readers now take this foundational skill for granted. Once you know how to read, you forget that you’re even reading. But it’s not innate. We have to learn how to read, and creating environments that are supportive and exciting can have a profound impact on how people feel about reading – especially kids. 

John sits down with Steacy from Calgary Reads, Grant from CUPS and Jackie from Chevron Canada to talk about reading—why it’s important and how we can create inspiring and unique places for people to read. 

To find out more about the Little Red Reading House and how you can build a reading place in your own home, go to littleredreading.house.

Experiences in Affordable Housing

December 7, 2020 in Housing

John sits down with three folks who live in affordable housing in Calgary. We wanted to understand the lived experience—what do residents like about where they live? What challenges have they had? Also, what types of environmental initiatives would residents like to see in the building they live in? 

This episode is part of our Better Housing Lab series. Learn more about the Better Housing Lab.

Going Green

November 2, 2020 in Environment, Housing

When I say ‘green building’, what do you think of?   You might think of solar panels, rainwater capture or sustainable materials. Often, these kinds of environmental features of buildings can be seen as expensive or non-essential qualities for buildings and in particular affordable housing solutions. Yet, there are endless reasons why we should provide affordable housing that integrates environmental performance. Sustainable buildings are better for people, the planet, and usually the pocketbook too.

Through our CMHC funded Better Housing Lab, we’re exploring how we can integrate environmental performance into the economic model of affordable housing projects. One of our collaborators in the lab is Matt Grace. He’s a green building engineer and a total expert on this topic. 

Last summer, John sat down with Matt Grace to talk about what it means to make buildings greener. Today, we’re re-running the chat from 2019, in the ‘before times’!