Golden Dream Bay: Moshe Safdie's Affordable Housing Masterpiece

Renowned architect Moshe Safdie is taking affordable housing to a whole new level. The Israeli-Canadian architect, known for staggering forms and pixelated geometric structures, is making his mark in China. Located in the Hebei Province in Qinhuangdao, Safdie’s Golden Dream Bay consists of stacked housing units which form a unique residential skyscraper.

Known for his Habitat 67 experimental town in Montreal, Safdie continues to create new visions for affordable housing. Overlooking spectacular views on the Bohai Sea, the Golden Dream Bay lies in a strategic location 200 miles east of Beijing. Adopting a humanist design approach, the design focuses on creating a sense of community and provides lots of private outdoor spaces.
The staggering form and multiple terraces allow maximum exposure to natural light which penetrates all dwellings and makes inhabitants enjoy the breathtaking views. The apartment building is equipped with 2,500 residential units and 60,000 sqft of retail space.

Courtesy of Kerry Properties and Safdie Architects

Safdie has stated ‘The demand for quality, affordable housing in Asia’s growing cities has allowed us to apply the principles that informed habitat 67 on a grand scale,’
“The increased density of today’s cities requires us to rethink building types to maintain a sense of community while ensuring privacy and private outdoor space. by breaking down the megascale, we aren’t building units; we’re building homes,”

Courtesy of Kerry Properties and Safdie Architects

“Golden dream bay offers a new model for high-density housing, one where the level of amenities surpasses that of the typical high-rise complex, without sacrificing the structure’s efficiency or humanity,” added Safdie, the founder of Safdie Architects.
The Golden Dream Bay project, with its porous form and staggered terraces, highly resembles Safdie’s previous project in, known as “Sky Habitat“.