5:2:8 Blog

How to Build a Fourplex in Toronto: Zoning, Permits & Cost

by Mayank Maroti | July 13, 2026 | toronto | 0 Comments

Toronto Architecture · Multiplex Guide How to Build a Fourplex in Toronto: Zoning, Permits & Cost Toronto quietly rewrote the rules on nearly every residential lot in the city. Here is what that actually means for your property, written by a studio that designs...

How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Architect in Ottawa?

by 25:8 Architecture & Urban Design | July 13, 2026 | ottawa | 0 Comments

Ottawa Architecture · Cost Guide How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Architect in Ottawa? A plain answer to the question every homeowner and developer asks before the first sketch gets drawn, written by a studio that quotes these fees every week. Almost every...

Modern Home Renovation Ideas for Toronto Homes in 2026

by 25:8 Architecture & Urban Design | June 2, 2026 | toronto | 0 Comments

Modern Home Renovation Ideas for Toronto Homes in 2026 Toronto homeowners are increasingly choosing renovation over relocation. Rather than leaving established neighbourhoods they love, many families are investing in thoughtful upgrades that improve functionality,...

Sustainable Residential Architecture in Ottawa for 2026

May 22, 2026 | ottawa

Sustainable Residential Architecture in Ottawa: Why High-Performance Homes Matter More Than Ever in 2026 Ottawa winters are not gentle. Anyone who's lived through January in this city knows what a poorly built house feels like from the inside: the cold radiating off...

Why Ottawa Homeowners Are Choosing Custom Architecture in 2026

May 22, 2026 | ottawa

Why More Ottawa Homeowners Are Choosing Custom Architecture in 2026 There's a particular kind of frustration that Ottawa homeowners know well. You spend months searching the resale market, walking through house after house in the neighbourhoods you actually want:...

Designing Privacy in Small Urban Homes

Jul 30, 2025 | Uncategorized

The Urban Family Challenge: Space, Function, and Intimacy As cities grow denser and real estate prices soar, many families are choosing to stay in urban centres, even as their households expand. This shift has led to a new kind of architectural challenge: how to...

Rethinking the CMHC House: A Modern Take on Canadian Mid-Century Homes

Jul 30, 2025 | Uncategorized

The Legacy of CMHC Housing in Canada Canada’s suburban landscape is shaped in no small part by the modest, efficient houses built through the 1950s CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation) initiative. Originally intended to be economical starter homes for...

How Contemporary Renovations Are Preserving Heritage While Pushing Design Forward

Jul 30, 2025 | Uncategorized

Balancing History and Modernity in Canada’s Urban Architecture In Canadian cities where land is scarce and zoning laws are strict, architects face a growing challenge: how to transform aging residential buildings without erasing their historic character. Increasingly,...

Designing for Constraint: How Architecture is Reclaiming the Margins

Jul 30, 2025 | Uncategorized

Affordable Housing and the Rise of Design Under Pressure As the pressure to deliver affordable housing grows across urban centres in Ontario and beyond, architects are increasingly working in conditions defined by limitation, spatial, regulatory, and financial. The...