Inertia Corporation

A follow-up to The New Middle Housing Landscape in Calgary

When we last wrote about the state of middle housing regulation in April, the ink on the repeal bylaw was barely dry. Calgary’s City Council had just voted 12–3 to wind back the clock on two years of middle housing momentum, and the industry was absorbing what that meant. Two months later, the situation has only grown more uncertain.

As of this week, it's now clear that the "repeal and replace" promise that defined Mayor Farkas's election campaign is, so far, only partially-fulfilled. Council voted down a motion to move forward with Local Area Plans as a replacement framework, leaving no approved path towards the density that both the federal government and the housing market are demanding.

The Policy Picture Today

The repeal takes legal effect on August 4, 2026—less than ten weeks away. After that date, the amended R‑CG bylaw and the restored low-density designations become the law of the land. Over 306,000 parcels will revert to their pre-2024 designations (primarily R‑C1 and R‑C2), meaning row housing isn't even a discretionary option on the majority of inner-city lots you might have been evaluating a year ago.

The key changes that directly affect what you can build in R‑CG going forward are:

Height limits lowered from 11.0 metres to 10.0 metres,

Lot coverage drops from 60% to 55%,

Removal of zero lot line configurations, and

Rowhouses that are fully compliant with the Bylaw will again be a permitted use (no option for appeals).

What is still being considered is:

Decreasing density from from four to three dwelling units on a standard 50’ parcel.

Prohibiting mid-block rowhouses and townhouses. This would mean that only parcels at the end of a block—essentially corner lots and the first three lots adjacent to a corner—could accommodate rowhousing going forward.

Reintroducing contextual front setbacks,

Restricting the number of buildings on a property.

These items have been put to administration to model and test, with their recommendation on the density reduction being presented to Council on July 21, 2026.

What hasn't been resolved is what comes next. A replacement densification framework—whether through the new Zoning Bylaw, expanded Local Area Plans, or some other mechanism—could take years to materialize. Councillors who supported the repeal have not coalesced around an alternative, and as of this week, council has actively voted down one of the most concrete replacement proposals on the table.

Current Applications

The most time-sensitive opportunity for developers with current applications is the grandfathering provision. Projects are protected from the new rules if they meet one of the following conditions:

A complete development permit, building permit, or subdivision application was submitted before April 8, 2026 (the bylaw's first reading date); or

A complete application has been approved before August 4, 2026.

So, meeting this window is possible for current applications, but newer applications will be subject to the reverted land use. Therefore, many developers looking to achieve the density formerly possible under R‑CG will have to rezone their property back to R‑CG—and follow whatever Council decides its rules will be—or to another district like H-GO or M-CG.

Repositioning For the New R‑CG

For projects that won't make the August 4 window, you’re going to have to choose from the space selection of parcels that had already been rezoned to R‑CG before blanket rezoning, or have to consider doing your own land use amendment. Some parcels may also require a policy amendment. If Council doesn’t overburden the R‑CG district beyond viability, if you choose to rezone to R‑CG, the amended rules will be the ones you’ll be working within for the foreseeable future. The economics may be harder, but your completion will be reduced. Scarcity may even increase your sale prices.

Prioritize corner lots and end-of-block parcels. This is the most significant site-selection shift in the new environment. Corner lots were always attractive for R‑CG rowhouses, but they may now the only sites where row-housing will be an option. Expect land values on qualifying corner parcels to reflect this scarcity premium, and adjust your acquisition costs accordingly. Patience in site selection will separate profitable projects from marginal ones.

Rethink your unit mix math. The drop from four to three upper units per parcel would have a meaningful pro forma impact. On a lot that previously supported a four-unit rowhouse with secondary suites—yielding up to eight total dwellings—you may now be looking at three-units with secondary suites, or a two-plus-two configuration if the site qualifies. Model your return thresholds against the new maximum density before tying up land.

Revisit semi-detached dwellings. The amended R‑CG bylaw still lists contextual single-detached and semi-detached homes as permitted uses. For mid-block sites that may no longer eligible for rowhouses, well-designed semi-detached homes with secondary suites can still deliver meaningful density and a workable return, especially in high-demand inner-city neighbourhoods where lot values are driven by location rather than density alone.

Design to the setback and height envelope precisely. With tighter coverage at 55% and a 10-metre height limit, millimetres matter more than they used to. Engage your designer early to maximize the buildable envelope without triggering relaxations—discretionary projects that require relaxations face a more uncertain approval process than they did two years ago, and you can't afford the carrying cost of protracted hearings.

Rebuilding the Case for Middle Housing: The Industry's Role

This is where the conversation has to go beyond permits and project economics. The repeal happened because a critical mass of Calgarians—and by extension, their elected councillors—came to believe that the blanket rezoning approach was being imposed on them rather than built with them. That perception is something the development industry helped create, and it's something the development industry can help change.

Show up earlier in community engagement. The era of submitting a discretionary development permit and managing objections at the hearing stage is over. Builders who want to operate in established neighbourhoods need to be talking to community associations and adjacent neighbours before a development permit is even submitted. The goal isn't to win over everyone—it's to demonstrate that you've listened, and that the design reflects that. Projects that have community buy-in are dramatically less likely to generate the organized opposition that has defined much of the infill conversation over the last two years.

Build projects that advocate for themselves. Every well-designed, well-managed R‑CG project in an established neighbourhood is a data point in the argument that middle housing works. Every poorly executed one—over-maximized coverage, low-quality materials, inadequate landscaping, chronic parking pressure—becomes evidence against middle housing. This is an industry reputation issue as much as a regulatory one. Engage an experienced designer that can deliver a product that you want to build, a resident wants to move into, and the community wants to live with.

Engage the replacement policy process directly. Calgary does not yet have a clear densification framework to replace blanket rezoning, and that conversation is only beginning. The urban planning advocacy space in this city has been dominated by community associations and neighbourhood groups—the same voices that drove the repeal. Industry associations, individual builders, and design firms like us need to be equally organized and equally present at Local Area Plan engagement sessions, at planning committee meetings, and in submissions to the new Zoning Bylaw process. If policy is being written without meaningful developer input, the result will reflect that absence.

Support the industry organizations that are doing this work. Groups like BILD or CICBA who are pushing for a swift, supply-focused replacement policy need your support. If you benefit from middle housing viability in this city, there's a strong argument for directing resources—staff time, financial support, expertise—toward the organizations and coalitions advocating for it.

What a Viable Replacement Could Look Like

The replacement policy, whenever it arrives, needs to do most of what blanket rezoning was doing if Calgary is to keep pace with housing demand.

The most practical mechanisms on the table are expanded Local Area Plans—which can designate specific blocks or corridors for higher density through a neighbourhood-specific process—and the new Zoning Bylaw, which the City has been developing and which could incorporate nuanced density provisions by community type. Neither is a quick fix, but Local Area Plans in particular offer a path that addresses the core political objection to blanket rezoning: the absence of neighbourhood-level input.

For developers, this means that which neighbourhoods you build in, and whether those neighbourhoods have active or pending Local Area Plan processes, is going to matter enormously. Getting engaged in those LAP processes—even as a listener and a data source—positions your projects for a smoother path when the replacement framework does arrive.

The Bottom Line

R‑CG is a constrained district after August 4, not a dead one. Corner-lot rowhouses and semi-detached homes will still be possible, still be needed, and still be buildable under the amended bylaw. The fundamentals of Calgary's housing demand haven't changed: the city is still growing, affordability is still strained, and the missing middle is still missing.

What has changed is that the policy environment now requires developers, builders and designers to work harder for individual project approvals, for community acceptance, and for the replacement framework that will determine the shape of middle housing in this city for the next decade. That work is worth doing.

In August 2024, the City of Calgary applied blanket rezoning across residential neighbourhoods, reclassifying thousands of parcels from R-C2 to R-CG. It was a bold move—the kind cities rarely make. Now, a proposal before Council would reverse it. As a design studio that works across housing typologies and community planning, we think that would be a significant step backward.

Our opposition isn't rooted in abstract ideology. It's grounded in what we see on Calgary's streets, in our clients' project pipelines, and in the planning logic that underpins good cities. Here is our case.

Argument 01 — Property Rights Cannot Be Retroactively Stripped Without Justification

When the City designates a property R-CG by bylaw, landowners are entitled to rely on that designation. They make plans around it. They engage designers, run feasibility numbers, and in many cases begin the development process. The proposed repeal would extinguish that reliance without compensation and without evidence of specific harm arising from any individual parcel.

This is not how Calgary has historically treated property rights. A blanket reversal imposed on thousands of parcels simultaneously—without parcel-by-parcel review—sets a troubling precedent. It signals to property owners and the development community that land use designations are politically revocable on short cycles, which is precisely the kind of regulatory instability that suppresses long-term investment in housing supply.

Argument 02 — The Infrastructure Argument Has Already Been Refuted

The most common justification for repeal is that blanket rezoning places undue pressure on ageing infrastructure: sewer laterals, water mains, the electrical grid. It sounds reasonable. It also happens to be contradicted by the City's own analysis.

In December 2025, City Administration presented a report examining nearly 2,000 homes approved under blanket rezoning. The finding: fewer than one percent of those projects required any upgrades to public utilities. Administration characterized the infrastructure impact as minimal. Council should not dismantle a significant housing policy on the basis of a concern that its own technical staff have already assessed and set aside.

Argument 03 — Repeal Makes Calgary's Housing Crisis Worse

Calgary is short on housing. The evidence is everywhere: rising rents, low vacancy rates, and a population that has grown faster than its housing stock. Blanket rezoning was one of the few tools the City deployed that directly addresses supply at the neighbourhood scale—by permitting rowhouses, stacked townhomes, and grade-oriented infill on lots that previously could accommodate only a single detached home.

Between 2014 and 2023, the Land Use Redesignation process approved 94% of applications—but only after an average wait of four to six months and the payment of significant fees. That process added cost and delay to projects without meaningfully filtering outcomes. Reinstating it will not improve housing quality, preserve neighbourhood character, or protect infrastructure. It will deter small-scale builders, increase carrying costs, and reduce the pipeline of modest, family-sized infill housing that Calgary's workforce needs.

Argument 04 — $129 Million in Federal Funding Hangs in the Balance

Calgary entered into a $251.3 million Housing Accelerator Fund agreement with the federal government. A significant portion of that funding—roughly $129 million—has not yet been disbursed. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has stated publicly that it expects Calgary to honour its commitments to eliminate exclusionary zoning. Calgary taxpayers cannot afford to gamble $129 million on informal assurances that federal officials will take a flexible approach. The prudent course is to preserve the zoning framework that underpinned the agreement.

Argument 05 — The Uptake Has Been Modest, Which Means Targeted Fixes Are Possible

Data presented at the December 2025 Council meeting showed that in the seven wards whose councillors voted for repeal, only 16 of 478 total applications were made under R-CG zoning. Blanket rezoning has produced far less disruption than its opponents claimed. This is actually good news: it means that legitimate concerns about specific outcomes—mid-block massing, contextual setbacks, lot coverage—can be addressed through targeted amendments to the Land Use Bylaw, not by stripping the R-CG designation from thousands of properties.

Several Council members proposed exactly such amendments during the December debate. Those alternatives deserve serious consideration. They offer a path to addressing real design concerns while preserving the housing supply gains that blanket rezoning has made possible.

Argument 06 — Policy Stability Is a Precondition for Good Design

As designers, we plan in time horizons that span years. A rowhouse project from initial concept to occupancy permit typically takes 18 to 36 months. Site assembly, feasibility studies, design development, permit applications—all of it presumes that the regulatory environment will remain stable long enough for a project to proceed. When land use designations become politically reversible on a two-year cycle, good projects don't get built. Risk-averse capital goes elsewhere. The city that results is not more liveable—it is more expensive, less diverse in housing form, and less responsive to the needs of the people who actually live in it.

Trent Letwiniuk, one of the owners and directors of Inertia Residential Design, died in a motorcycle accident on Monday, August 4th. We are devastated by this tragedy and have been thinking of Trent’s family as they grieve the loss of a loved one who was a husband, son, brother, and uncle.

Trent was a founding partner at Inertia Residential Design in 2006 and of Gravity Architecture in 2014. With his partner, Stephen Barnecut, and a growing team of professionals, he built Gravity to a 26-person strong firm with offices in Calgary and Vancouver. He was a talented designer and draftsperson, but moreover excelled at building client relationships and representing the firm. He deeply cared about our clients’ needs and wants, and championed these throughout the planning, design, and construction processes of their projects. Trent set an example for the team of diligence and accuracy, efficiency, and excellence.

Over the past five years, as Trent and Stephen focussed their energy on Gravity, Inertia has quietly been operating in the background. This will continue to be the case as Inertia executes smaller scale projects that do not require professional involvement. As Gravity gathers itself for a future without Trent, so does Inertia. Stephen is now the sole owner and, with the benefit of 26 years working alongside Trent, will continue to pilot our clients’ projects towards success. Only a few years ago, this event may have been devastating for the companies. However, under Trent’s co-leadership, the firms have become strong enough to weather a loss of even this magnitude.

Jay Wiwchar is now Inertia’s Permit Coordinator. He is responsible for the submission and administration of all permits submitted by Gravity, including development permits, building permits, and land use permits.

He brings over 20 years of experience in the construction industry to his position at Gravity. 

He began his journey into the construction industry as an electrician in 1998. After obtaining his Red Seal in the electrical trade, he then obtained Master’s certification and introductory training as a safety codes officer. Always looking to gain knowledge, in 2009 Jay returned to school obtaining a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Communications Studies from the University of Calgary.

Jay’s previous projects in the electrical trade included roles in management and quality control administration and these roles assisted in his sound knowledge of government policy and legislation related to the construction industry. These roles, along with his lifelong fascination with the aesthetics and process of building design ignited Jay’s desire to oversee the administrative function of a project and added to his pursuit of a technology diploma in architecture.

He completed the Architectural Technologist program at SAIT in 2021, fulfilling his childhood aspiration to work in the field of architecture.

Jay has lived in Calgary for the past 20 years and enjoys the company of his wife and cats, renovating his century home, cycling, skiing, and long drives in the countryside.

During these uncertain times, Inertia remains committed to the safety and well-being of our staff and visitors, while continuing to provide responsive solutions to our clients. With Alberta’s new COVID-19 restrictions in place, access to our studios will be by appointment only.⁠

We're pleased to announce that Trishuda Jain as been on our team for ten years. As well, we’re happy to share that Trishuda has been promoted to the role of Project Manager.

Trishuda completed an Architectural Assistantship program in 2000 from India. She started her career with Kalpakriti Consultants where she gained experience in residential planning and interior design. Later, she got an independent opportunity for designing various oil and gas stations in Northern India. In 2005, she joined the municipal urban planning department where she contributed her experience on city wide projects. During this period of time she worked on AutoCAD, ADT and Revit.

After coming to Canada, Trishuda resumed her career as a technologist with Genesis Builders Group where she gained experience in the residential suburban housing market. Trishuda joined Inertia in 2010 as our second employee and has since been an integral team member of Inertia Residential Design.

Trishuda now is a project manager at Gravity Architecture with responsibilities that include managing the firm’s larger scale projects as well as monitoring project performance across all of our projects.

Willix Developments is building a row of eight townhouses on 38th Avenue SW at the north end of Altadore in Calgary. The project is split over two parcels separated by a laneway. The units are three storeys each, and have south-facing rooftop patios and fully developed basements. Every unit has a double master configuration as well as a bedroom in the basement, however, the two end units also have an upper floor den. Separate buildings on the lane provide a private garage for each unit.

The brick cladding, modest front stoops, and repeated facades suggest east coast brownstone architecture, but the tectonic massing and contemporary interior spaces reveal this Inertia design to be thoroughly modern. 

While small multi-residential developments, especially rowhouses, are our speciality, grading issues can always put our expertise to the test. These lots both slope down to the east, but also significantly down to the north. To accommodate this, the units adapt to the slope by all having different main floor elevations. Also, the west fourplex is lowered from the street level so the main floors can have access to their rear yards from the main floor. Creative approaches like this keep our developer and builder clients returning to Inertia for the best solutions to infill design challenges.

We're thrilled to announce that Tom Jenson has been with us for ten years!

Tom joined Inertia in 2009 as our first employee. While we were a little nervous about the commitment of a full time hire at the time, Tom was insistent. Early on we facetiously posted a picture of Tom titled “Employee of the Month”, and then there didn’t seem any logic in taking it down (well, until we hired our second employee).

In this last decade with us, Tom has been involved in every stage of the architectural process: from conceptual design, to development permit drawings, through to fully detailed construction plans for building permit and IFC drawings. Tom has learned the Calgary Land Use Bylaw and Alberta Building Code inside and out. He’s also become experienced in navigating the City of Calgary’s development permit application processes and has a proven ability to find design solutions that satisfy client needs within the context of City requirements and community expectations.⁠

As Inertia’s Lead Technologist, Tom is responsible for construction document production and the review of all permit drawings. On top of Tom’s expansive knowledge in everything BIM, he’s also a waffle connoisseur and brings in samples of his weekly creations to share with us all! 🧇

One of the reasons we chose our new location is that there are plenty of options for client parking.

At the west doors to our building are nine free two-hour visitors stalls exclusively for our building (shown in orange above). If at any time these are full, street parking is readily available.

On the north side of 10th Avenue, there is 2 hours paid parking from 9:00am to 3:30pm weekdays (marked in green above). However, don’t leave your car on this side of the street past 3:30!

On the south side of 10th Avenue, there is 2 hours paid parking from 9:00am to 6:00pm weekdays (marked in blue above).

Inertia welcomes Gord Alexander to the team!

Upon graduating from SAIT Polytechnic’s Architectural Technologies program in 2003, Gord began his career at Cutforth Technologists where he focused on completing plans for hotels all over rural Alberta as well as custom summer homes at some of our popular lake communities.

Gord then moved into the residential world full time when he started at Albi Homes where he did all aspects of design from custom homes, site construction supervision, and management . As part of the product development team they were the recipients of several local and national SAM awards for design excellence. During his time here, Gord also completed the Lean Construction Program which focuses on customer value, construction and design efficiencies, as well as improved process flow and a minimization of waste. It is these principles that Gord is mindful of when designing any new residential project.

Gord has spent time getting builders like Homes by Dream up and running by helping set up design software and procedures as well as providing several new house models with everything from cozy starter homes to move up models and Estate homes. 

Inertia’s commitment to urbanization through bold and striking architecture is what made Gord most excited about joining the Inertia team.

We're very happy that Marcella Borrelli has joined our team at Inertia!

Marcella graduated from SAIT Polytechnic in 2011 with a diploma in Architectural Technology. Throughout her education and early career, she has developed many valuable skills including a working knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit, and best construction practices.

After graduating she worked at a small custom firm PDW Design, gaining knowledge in completing as-builts, and creating construction drawings for both residential and commercial spaces. From there she obtained a position at Excel Homes, where she became a member of the production team. In 2014 she made the move to the custom home world at Phase One Design, where she managed many projects, completing construction drawings, growing her design skills and knowledge of many municipalities Land Use Bylaw in Alberta and BC. In her spare time Marcella enjoys exploring her love of cooking for friends and family as well as indulging in her love for live music by attending many local shows. She enjoys giving back to the community as is actively involved with volunteering and organizing many local charity events.

While most of us know Tom Jenson as the Lead Technologist here at Inertia and Gravity, as well as being a student of architecture at the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary, Tom is also the director of the planning committee for the East Village Neighbourhood Association (EVNA).

In a recent article in the Calgary Real Estate Board’s blog, Tom discusses how Calgary’s East Village needs, and is achieving, diversity in its population to attract the services the community requires.

Tom says that the “EVNA wants to ensure there are affordable places to live in our community for everyone, from the retail clerks in our local shops and cafes to the oil executives working in our neighbouring office towers.”

Yvette Perot, our Contract and Construction Administrator, has just earned her designation as Certified Construction Contract Administrator.

As prerequisites of this designation, Yvette is a member of Construction Specifications Canada and has successfully completed the Principles of Construction Documentation and Construction Contract Administration course. Yvette also has well over the minimum of five years experience in the administration of construction contracts.

Paul Mowat has had a well established career in Calgary as an architectural contractor. We’re happy to announce that he has chosen join the team here at Inertia and Gravity.

Paul has over twenty years of experience on a wide range of projects from multi-family, long term care and independent living facilities, low-to-mid rise buildings, commercial, institutional, correctional and custom house design and detailing. His primary focus is on detailing the sequencing of building materials, the building envelope design and barrier membrane continuity and integrity.

In addition, Paul also has extensive contract administration experience having managed building phases 1, 2 & 3 of a long term care and independent living facility in Evanston, Calgary. During the three years on this site he used his expertise in building design to provide guidance to the site supervisor and sub-trades to successfully execute the contract documentation. This was achieved while maintaining quality control and remaining on budget and on time.

In his spare time Paul likes to build rustic custom furniture, barn doors.

Amy ford has joined the team at Inertia and Gravity!

Amy started her career working for Omega Partnership in the United Kingdom as an RIBA Architectural Assistant, working on residential projects for many different housing developers. Whilst working at this firm, Amy completed her BA(Hons) degree in Architecture from Kingston University in 2014. Throughout her 14 years at Omega, Amy worked on single family house design, multi-family developments, listed building applications and masterplan design. 

Amy left to gain more construction experience and started work for Thames Design and Build as a Design Manager, taking projects from initial conceptual design, development and building permit application through to on-site project and site management. Here she worked on custom home design, interior design and additions. 

Amy’s passion for skiing and winter sports brought her to Canada in 2016. Her first role was with Home by Avi Urban as an Architectural Designer working for Multi-family projects. Amy then took a position at Envision Custom Renovations where she was responsible for interior design, additions, specifications and selections.

We're pleased to inform you that Anthony Pienkos is now on the Inertia and Gravity team.

Anthony Completed his Architectural Technologies diploma in 2016 From SAIT in Calgary. Prior to discovering his love of architecture, Anthony studied Anthropology at MRU and installed modular partitions from suppliers such as DIRTT and Teknion on notable projects including Norman Foster’s Bow Building and the University of Calgary.

Anthony comes to us from DIALOG in Vancouver, where he worked as a contract administrator assistant for the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Westbank and DIALOG Joint Highrise Project known as Vancouver House which was awarded “Future Building of the year 2015” by the World Architecture Festival. During his time at DIALOG, Anthony was also able to become a Canadian BIM Council certified P2 BIM coordinator. 

Not only is Anthony a competent Revit user but he is also well versed in design and visualization Software such as Lumion, Sketchup, Adobe Creative Suite and 3DS Max as well. He also has experience using BIM software such as Navisworks, 360 BIM glue and Revit Live.

Inertia's Lead Technologist, Tom Jenson, recently visited Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier. He observed that it “was definitely noteworthy, not because of the hype but because it remains a very unique building, even if it’s dated and missing features of today’s residential expectations.” The residence, is located in a densely treed location just outside of Paris in Poissy, France.

Design

Better known by his pseudonym Le Corbusier, the Swiss born Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (1887–1965) used his "Five Points of Architecture" to design Villa Savoye in the late 1920s. The five points are distilled in the design through the elevation of the building on a grid of support columns, thereby decreasing the structural restrictions on of the design and allowing for horizontal windows along the entire wall of an exterior façade and interior walls to be placed freely. Satisfying the fifth point, the flat roof has a garden that serves both the personal enjoyment of the residents as well as protects the building from the elements. It's easy to see this house as a precursor to the 'open concept' designs that would dominate suburban housing eighty years later.

History

Unfortunately, aesthetics trumped practicality and with the lack of downspouts and sills, the owners only lived in their home for a few years before it needed significant repairs. They abandoned it during World War II, after which is was occupied by the Germans and then the Americans, each causing further deterioration. Expropriated by the town of Poissy in 1958, it would have been demolished save for the protest of architects including Le Corbusier himself. Restoration was completed in 1997 and the house is now open to the public.

Layout

The ground level of the house originally housed the chauffeur's and maid's rooms. The main floor also features a rather prominently located pedestal sink! Up the ramp or stairs to the second level reveals the kitchen, terraces and three bedrooms. Up one more level is the rooftop garden which has a view of the entire solarium and ramp. The living space has an impressively sized sliding door out to the terrace, while the ensuite sports a unique tiled tub and chaise longues combination.

Gardener's House

Though the main residence receives most of the historical attention, Tom was quite interested in the lesser known building on the site known as the Gardener's House. Unfortunately, this surprisingly colourful building was not open to the public during his visit, but Tom managed to snap a couple of exterior photos for us.