No one needs to be reminded that affordable housing is a pressing crisis in Canada.
Among others pushing for solutions, Canadian tech startups work everyday to alleviate this troubling predicament through innovation. One of them is Calgary-born Arthrotó, who believes the future of housing lies in the factory.
Collaborating with global construction giant DIRTT, Alberta-based Arthrotó has officially launched with a mission to convert vacant office spaces into sustainable residential units—a tactic being used in Canada’s real estate landscape in response to high residential housing costs next to devalued commercial spaces.
“The launch of Arthrotó marks a groundbreaking evolution in the housing industry as we strive to repurpose underutilized office spaces into thriving residential and mixed-use communities,” says Doug Hayden, founder of Arthrotó.
As the ghost of the pandemic recedes, North America grapples with a dual problem. An escalating demand for housing—Canada requires five million new homes by 2030—dances with a growing number of deserted office spaces, a trend which threatens to hollow out downtown cores, often the soul of a city.
“By leveraging the principles that have existed for decades in prefabricated, pre-finished, volumetric construction for office spaces, Arthrotó applies massive gains in productivity,” Hayden explains. “By using new technologies, we can ensure cleaner and safer construction projects, rapid deployment times, reduced onsite labour and help clients meet their ESG targets, which in turn helps pave the way for sustainable urban development.”
This content is sponsored by Calgary’s own WCD.
WCD recently invested in an HP Indigo 15K Digital Press — the first in Western Canada. This game-changing technology will help WCD disrupt the print fulfillment industry by providing customers with a greater range of capabilities, higher degree of quality, improved order speeds, and more sustainable options.
What sets Arthrotó apart, he says, is its comprehensive systems approach to providing an integrated solution. The startup strategically partners with market leaders in various fields to ensure imbedded quality and efficiency throughout the construction process.
DIRTT for example is a champion of industrialized construction for interior spaces, specializing in customizable interior construction solutions.
“Our collaboration with Arthrotó represents an innovative stride in urban redevelopment that aims to set new standards in the industry,” stated Benjamin Urban, CEO of DIRTT. “Our approach to adaptable interior construction and our focus on sustainable building aligns well with Arthrotó’s mission.”
Arthrotó intends to strike partnerships covering a gamut of aspects, from prefab interior structures to building information management systems, smart home tech, and new AI design tools.
As the startup lays its foundation, it seeks alliances and joint ventures while exploring potential projects. Hayden’s team is actively seeking collaborations with entities that possess unused office spaces, such as building owners, asset managers, REITs, pension funds, and banks.
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