We’re committed to improving the way people age-in-place
Growing old is an achievement.
Growing old well is a design challenge.
Declining abilities do not have to automatically result in lower quality of life and a loss of independence. Current housing options for aging adults are out-of-date and out-of-touch. We’re creating innovative solutions that empower older adults and their families to live well and support each other at home.
We are architects, designers and builders with over 25 years of experience creating over 250 custom-design residential projects in Calgary.
Carina van Olm
CEO & Interior Design
Carina has a background in small business operations and interior design. She leads the Garden Loft Executive Team and is responsible for interior design.
John Brown
Design Research & Sales
John is a registered architect and Dean of the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture Planning and Landscape. He is responsible for design research and sales.
Matthew North
Design and Fabrication
Matthew is a graduate architect and a construction expert. He is responsible for detail design, construction management, and logistics for Garden Loft.
Carina, John and Matthew co-founded Housebrand in 1997
Over its 23-year history, Housebrand has completed over 250 residential projects using a unique practice model that combines architectural design with construction management, real estate services, and furniture retailing. Housebrand’s work has been published internationally and has been recognized with an Award of Excellence in Innovation from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and was the first Canadian firm to receive a Rising Star Leadership Award from Residential Architect Magazine.
Garden Loft began as a University of Calgary research project led by John Brown to invent a portable living unit with advanced medical supports.
John Brown is Dean and Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape where he teaches design practice innovation and researches age-in-place housing. He has a PhD in age-in-place design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Working in collaboration with researchers from the Cumming School of Medicine, John’s research team constructed and user-tested two V1 and V2 mock-ups of the portable living unit in the University lab. The results of the tests were used to refine the design of the unit and the physical support features. This work was awarded a City of Calgary Mayor’s Urban Design Award in Housing Innovation. Housebrand constructed a fully-functioning V3 prototype of the portable living unit that was field-tested on several sites with multiple residents of differing abilities. The findings of the V3 prototype field-testing were incorporated into the current production version of Garden Loft. Housebrand has teamed up with Thin Air Labs, a Calgary-based innovation and investment company composed of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, designers, and community leaders to bring Garden Loft to market.
