The City of Vancouver is looking for development ideas from any “qualified applicant” who can come up with a cost-effective way to build an apartment complex at Nanaimo Street and 26th Avenue.

The city is looking for 40-50 cheap rental units to take up the space and say they are open to any cost-effective idea, which could even include traditional construction. However, the example of modular housing is certainly stressed in the release.

Modular housing can reduce construction time and on-site costs, and the savings could allow for lower-than-market rents. This type of housing has already been piloted in Europe, Australia and the United States, and is becoming increasingly popular for addressing housing challenges.

If you’re unfamiliar with the modular housing trend it’s essentially a series of shipping containers (usually stacked side by side and on top of each other) turned into small bachelor or studio suites.

As pointed out in the release, similar units have turned up in Cranbrook as part of a seniors’ care home, and in Surrey as an affordable housing complex. The model was also used on a temporary basis during the Olympics, and in the near future the Downtown Eastside will be home to its own shipping container apartment.

The city says the rental units slated for the undeveloped Nanaimo Street lot could be used for social housing, artists, single parents and/or workforce housing.

So what are your ideas? Do you like modular housing, or is it a little to warehouse like for your taste?