Moshe Safdie (1938- )

• architect, known for his innovative prefabricated housing complexes
• born in Haifa, Israel, moved to Canada at age 15
• studied in Montreal, Quebec, where he later designed part of the grounds for the 1967 World's fair, Expo '67
• his Habitat project built for Expo '67 was the first major prefabricated housing project ever constructed
• Habitat consisted of steplike clusters of cubic, precast concrete units that interlocked according to a flexible plan to form apartments
• Safdie refined this concept with projects in Puerto Rico, Israel, and other elsewhere
• was the director of Harvard University's urban design program from 1978 to 1984
• some other major projects are:
  • the National Gallery of Canada (1988), in Ottawa
    
  • the Musee de la Civilization (1988), in Quebec City
  • Library Square in Vancouver
    Library Square photos by Jim Labounty and Kip Johl
• the Safdie archive
• books:
  • Beyond Habitat (1970) edited by John Kettle
  • For everyone a garden (1974) edited by Judith Wolin
  • Form and Purpose (1980)
  • Beyond Habitat by 20 years (1987)
  • Jerusalem: The Future and the Past (1989)
  • The City After the Automobile (scheduled for 1997)

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