Architectural rendering of a mid-rise housing building in a northern forest setting

Affordable housing design platform

Skip the Blank Sheet. Start Building Sooner.

HeadStart Affordable is a Modern Methods of Construction design platform that gets mid-rise housing built faster, more affordably, sustainably, and at scale, using modular mass timber and hybrid building systems. It provides a licensed design starting point that local architects and engineers adapt to the project’s site, requirements and applicable codes, saving months of pre-construction time and early design soft costs.

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Architectural rendering

THE PROBLEM

The blank sheet is the slow part.

Affordable housing teams can spend a year designing and investing heavily before a project becomes shovel-ready. Designing for modern methods of construction demands specialized expertise. Most teams are learning on the customer’s project.

HeadStart provides the core coordinated design work in advance. It is supplier-independent and panel-type agnostic, while local professionals retain responsibility for adapting the design to the site, code and program.

Completed mass timber housing exterior with yellow window frames

Completed housing project interior living room

The Solution

Start with a coordinated system. Make it local.

Build with a structural system that’s proven to be cost-competitive, fast, scalable, and better for the environment. The drawing package gives your architects, structural engineers, mechanical, and electrical engineers everything they need to design offsite mass timber affordable housing - in full 3D.

Why HeadStart

More of the early work is already done.

The following performance statements are HeadStart claims and depend on project conditions, professional adaptation and delivery decisions.

Save Time

Cut site-specific design time from months to weeks. HeadStart states that modern off-site methods can build housing 10 to 20% faster.

Reduce Cost

HeadStart estimates a 20 to 40% reduction in upfront design and engineering fees on the path to shovel-readiness.

Build Affordably

Build from a system assessed as cost-competitive and fast to construct in an independent, QS-certified comparative study.

How it works

A developed starting point, adapted by your team.

Six stages take the platform from licence to project delivery. Optional services remain separate from the licensed drawing package.

01 · Licensed package

License the Design

Review the product details, accept the licence and User Terms, and complete your purchase. The licence covers one buyer, one project and one site.

02 · Licensed package

Receive Your Files

Get controlled access to coordinated architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical drawings developed in 3D around a repeatable, manufacture-ready system.

03 · Your professional team

Adapt It to Your Site

Your architect and engineers of record review the design, adapt it to your site, code and program, and stamp the drawings.

04 · Optional service

Bring In Our Design Team

If needed, engage the architects and engineers who created HeadStart Affordable to tailor it to your site.

05 · Optional service

Build With Us

Engage MidRise5 for feasibility, costing, financing, team formation, manufacturing engagement, delivery or construction support.

06 · Project delivery

Move Faster

Because the design was created for off-site manufacturing from day one, it can move to prefabrication without a separate design-for-manufacture phase.

Hamilton, ON · Transitional Affordable and Supportive Housing

A 9,996 sq. ft. housing project designed for a narrow, 6.5-metre-wide urban site with a zero-lot-line condition.

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Who it’s for

For organizations moving housing forward.

HeadStart is for teams developing or supporting multi-unit housing, not a rental listing, tenant application or waiting-list service.

Public housing leaders

Municipal housing corporations, municipalities, regional governments and DSSABs.

Community housing

Non-profit providers, community land trusts and co-operatives.

Indigenous housing

Indigenous communities and housing organizations.

Supportive providers

Supportive housing, women’s shelter and transitional housing providers.

Institutions

Seniors’ housing organizations and post-secondary institutions.

Federal organizations

Crown corporations supporting Canada’s infrastructure needs.

Private developers

Affordable-housing and workforce-housing developers.

Project teams

Architects, construction managers and design-builders seeking a proven starting platform.

Features and package

A coordinated package built for adaptation.

Integrated 3D drawings+

Architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical drawings in one coordinated package.

Proven, pre-developed design+

A starting point refined through more than 20 affordable housing projects over five years.

Cost comparative study+

An independent, QS-certified cost and schedule comparison against common mid-rise structural alternatives is included.

Repeatable kit of parts+

Adaptable components intended for production in automated North American facilities.

Manufacturer-agnostic+

A standard panel size that can be supplied by a broad range of North American mass timber manufacturers.

Panel-type agnostic+

Designed to work with CLT, DLT, NLT, GLT and MPP without committing to one manufacturer before tendering.

Professional-team flexibility+

Use your own architect and engineers, or engage the team behind the platform as an optional service.

Additional project support+

MidRise5 can support feasibility, costing, grants, financing, manufacturing and delivery.

Sustainable, human-centred design+

A wood-forward approach focused on natural materials, thermal performance and healthy spaces.

Architectural rendering of a mass timber mid-rise housing project

Team and partnerships

Created by people who build housing.

HeadStart brings together experience in architecture, engineering, mass timber manufacturing, modern methods of construction and affordable housing delivery.

License the Design

MidRise5, McCallum Sather Architects, Trave Structural and DEI Consulting Engineers developed HeadStart Affordable collaboratively, drawing on mid-rise housing work across North America.

Important questions

Clear answers before you commit.

What does the package include?+

Controlled access to coordinated architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical drawings developed in Revit, plus a QS-certified cost and schedule comparison. The included documents, file formats and permitted uses are confirmed in your selected package and licence agreement.

Can we use our own professional team?+

Yes. Your own architect and engineers can review and adapt the design. The team behind HeadStart can also be engaged separately if required.

How is the design adapted to our location?+

Your architect and engineers of record adapt it to the site, local code and project program, stamp the final drawings and take professional responsibility for the building.

What is the scope of a licence?+

The licence covers one buyer, one project and one site. The design cannot be redistributed, resold, reused on another project or used to train an AI system.

Is it ready for permitting or construction?+

No. It is a highly developed starting point, not a stamped permit package or a substitute for professional services. Qualified local professionals must review and adapt it before permitting, fabrication or construction.

What additional support is available?+

Optional support can include feasibility, costing, grants, financing, team formation, manufacturing engagement, delivery and construction guidance.

How do we request a demonstration?+

Book a demonstration through the meeting link or contact Headstart@MidRise5.ca to walk through the platform before making a commitment.

Start a conversation

Let’s Talk About Your Next Housing Project

Choose the conversation that fits and send your details. A member of the HeadStart team will reply personally.

Headstart@MidRise5.ca Book a Demo