Inhabiting Habitat

Far below swirl the icy black currents of the rushing St. Lawrence River. Snow-laden Arctic winds whistle past, and for an instant, at least, the feeling is that of being atop a giant, jagged iceberg floating downriver past Montreal. Inside the iceberg, though, all is snug and warm; a baroque symphony dances across the huge living room while the champagne bubbles and the soft lights glow. This is Habitat, the magnificent living complex designed by Israeli Architect Moshe Safdie and built on the tiny Cite du Havre peninsula for Canada's Expo '67. For a surprisingly long time, it was well in the running for the White-Elephant-of-the-Decade Award, but today it is the most desirable address in Montreal.

Why was Habitat uninhabited so long? Basically, because of initial mismanagement. Its multilevel apartments were filled with exhibitors and functionaries until Expo ended. Then for several months it stood tenantless, save for the architect and another family or two, as federal, provincial and local governments quarreled over who was to administer it. In February 1968, the federal government's Central Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) took it over, and a series of bungles began. Rents were pegged at exorbitant levels. Rumors spread about rat infestation and inadequate heat. Understandably, prospective tenants stayed away. Then CMHC cut rents--twice. People moved in and dispelled the rumors. As the two original clusters began to fill, work started on a third. Now, all three clusters--158 apartments--are fully occupied, and there are more than 100 names on the waiting list.

Soundproof Flats. For most of its tenants, Habitat's greatest attraction is the fact that it provides total silence and privacy only five minutes from downtown Montreal. From afar, Habitat looks like a pile of blocks casually stacked by an active child; from within, each of those blocks is an apartment --usually a duplex--with its own uncluttered view, private balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows. Each unit, insulated by thick concrete walls and neoprene stripping, is totally soundproof; floors are double coated with polyurethane for easy cleaning, and walls are washable.

Included in the rent ($190 a month for a one-bedroom flat to $600) is free bus transport to and from the city between 7 a.m. and 1:30 a.m., free electricity, water and air conditioning. All services, such as plumbing and carpentry, are free. Garage space is $15 a month, and a washer-dryer and dishwasher are each rentable for $10 monthly. There are nine groundskeepers to maintain the lawns, and 15 security guards to keep the peace. "We've always thought it was out of this world," says Irwin Gopnik, a McGill University English professor. Adds Daughter Alison: "This is not luxury living. This is the way people should live, surrounded by air, space, sun and this whole rich visual experience."

Upper Crust. Architect Safdie originally designed Habitat as a pilot low-cost housing project, but its present tenants are definitely upper crust: professors, architects, lawyers, musicians and business executives. CMHC advertises it as "the most sophisticated place to live in Canada," which is a jarring contrast with Architect Safdie's original intentions. Safdie himself, feeling that rents were unrealistically high, moved out of Habitat in protest three years ago.

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