Town of Bassano reimagines neighbourhoods with new pilot-scale housing development

The Southern Alberta town of Bassano is working with John Brown, architect and co-founder of FABhome, to develop a new seniors neighbourhood concept driven by well-being, community engagement, and independence. The new half-acre infill neighbourhood concept repurposes underutilized town assets, most notable the Bassano Community Hall.

FAB Village Square will feature seven 540-square foot self-contained homes with various architectural and digital support technologies that adapt to the resident’s changing needs and enable them to live independently for an extended period of time.

FAB Village Square is the first neighbourhood concept of its kind anywhere in North America and will have a positive social and economic impact on our community. The FAB Village Square concept is being built with quality and service in mind. “By the end of June, we will know what this project looks like from a financial point of view. We are committed to the opportunity and project analysis. Consultation with various agencies, boards and commissions will follow once we have a set plan of action.” said Wickson.

Up to this point, the project has been referred to as the Intergenerational and Multigenerational Tiny Home Pilot Project Bassano. FAB Village Square is one of the many great initiatives that resulted from this research project over the past 12-months. The Town is grateful to Palliser Economic Partnership (PEP) for their belief in the project. It was in mid-2019 that PEP granted the Town economic development funds to undertake project research. “Today is a great day as we move from an idea into the first phase of implementation,” said Wickson.