A Vancouver Designer’s Innovative Solution to the Housing Crisis

A young Vancouver designer is making a name for himself in the architectural world with a unique outdoor modular building designed to tackle the city’s ongoing housing crisis.

Daniil Aron-Mokhov, the creative mind behind design startup SCHTAUSS, has unveiled a prefabricated, multifunctional space that serves as both an office and a garden shed.

Constructed in the backyard of his mother’s Kitsilano residence, the timber Modular Shed Office features an indoor space accessible through three hinged hatchways, as well as a rooftop patio accessed via a ladder. Designed with sustainability in mind, the project utilized leftover materials from a previous home renovation, along with locally sourced scraps from the local FabLab and various organizations across Vancouver.

Aron-Mokhov, a 22-year-old who initially studied economics at Queen’s University in Kingston before pursuing architecture in Barcelona, Spain, shared that the project has already attracted attention from prominent magazine publications and has sparked inquiries from homeowners throughout the province.

“There have been several individuals, particularly in Squamish, who have expressed interest in collaborating with me to create something similar for their own properties,” he revealed.

Completed in just four days of laser cutting and fabrication, followed by two days of installation in the garden, Aron-Mokhov emphasized that the design offers a rapid, affordable, and sustainable solution that he hopes will help alleviate Vancouver’s affordable housing shortage.

“There is a clear housing shortage issue in Canada, with the market saturated with high-end luxury developments,” he noted.

“There has been significant discussion in North America about densifying cities, and given the current high costs associated with expanding living space, a solution like this could prove beneficial,” he added.

Aron-Mokhov identified a “loophole in the system” where modular buildings under 15 square meters require less paperwork to be constructed as additions to existing homes.

“The future of architecture lies in modular construction,” he asserted.

“Utilizing these sheds as additional living or working spaces, whether as an office or a playroom, offers a more cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional, expensive home renovations,” he explained.

While SCHTAUSS is only a month old and the Modular Shed Office represents its inaugural offering, Aron-Mokhov acknowledged that there are still some design refinements to be made before launching larger-scale modular projects.

However, he plans to install “more shed spaces” in backyards across the province in the near future, as well as introduce the designs to South America to assist in creating affordable housing solutions for remote communities.