Toboggan Flats in vacant office buildings downtown

More affordable housing.
Less time invested.
One starter kit.

Considering an office building for conversion? Start here.

Start with our Pre-Assessment Checklist.

It helps you identify early red flags and understand what makes for a good office-to-coliving conversion candidate, covering things like:

Zoning and location
Window exposure and elevator core placement
Code and engineering factors
Funding and affordability considerations
Coliving Checklist

Passed the checklist? You’re ready for the Co-Convert Compass!

This tool helps you explore the building’s potential: layout, density, shared spaces and what coliving could look like.

Generate sample layouts and unit counts
Visualize coliving on your actual floorplate
Get early insight before bringing in architects or start the permit process
Co-convert compass

GET STARTED

Get the Starter Kit

Subscribe to run the tool yourself, explore options and test fit—no commitment required.

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What is Co-Convert Compass?
(And why it’s a game-changer)

Most community housing organizations don’t have the time, budget or team to start a housing project from scratch.

That’s where Co-Convert Compass comes in.

With this tool, you can:

  • Upload a floorplan PDF or enter square footage
  • Get sample layouts, unit counts and shared amenity options
  • See what’s possible in 3D before you spend a dollar on design

Watch Co-Convert Compass in action

Try it for free!

You’ll love Co-Convert Compass if you’re…

A community housing provider looking for faster, smarter ways to build affordable housing

A nonprofit organization with a vacant office building but no in-house real estate design team

A municipality exploring what’s possible for underused downtown assets

Anyone asking: “Can this become affordable community housing?”—and wanting real answers, fast

A community housing provider looking for faster, smarter ways to build affordable housing

A nonprofit organization with a vacant office building but no in-house real estate design team

A municipality exploring what’s possible for underused downtown assets

Anyone asking: “Can this become affordable community housing?”—and wanting real answers, fast

Why office-to-coliving works

You don’t need to build from the ground up.

The structure is already there—walls, windows, mechanical-electrical-plumbing system.

– No pouring concrete
– No months-long demolition
– No costly upfront design phase just to test feasibility

Instead, we help you work with what already exists.

Smarter layouts, shared spaces and lighter retrofits mean you can:


– Create more housing in less time
– Spend less on construction and disposal
– Use buildings that otherwise sit empty

What you’ll walk away with

A visual layout: sample units, bathrooms, kitchens, shared spaces
A 3D preview of your floorplate reimagined as coliving
A downloadable summary to show your board, team or funders

All before talking to an architect. All free.

Check your building’s fit

“I’m involved in a youth shelter diversion program and we’re hoping to do a three-year pilot. 

The way that I sell that to the government is: let’s say there are a thousand beds in the youth shelter network. If we divert 10%—which seems very small—we’ve in essence created 100 new spaces. We just built two new shelters without having to put a shovel in the ground or deal with angry neighbors. 

The more people you can house, the more you can relieve pressure. Release the pressure and guess what? You’re actually creating more units, more availability.

So, that’s where that’s going to be the future for us: how do we find alternatives to increase the housing stock without putting shovels in the ground?

If we can figure that part out, then every time you put shovels in the ground, you’re actually gaining more rapidly.” 

— Steve Doherty
Executive Director, Youth Without Shelter

Steve Doherty; Executive Director, Youth Without Shelter

Want to go deeper? Let us guide you.

If you’re ready to move from “maybe” to “how?”, we can help.

From early questions to real-world results, we’re here to help you make it happen. Whether you’re a nonprofit, a city planner or a housing provider with an idea in hand, we offer:

Expert guidance from industry specialists
Help navigating zoning, policies and approvals
Insight into funding opportunities and grant options
Introductions to potential partners, investors or operators
Clear, honest feedback on what’s viable—and what’s not

Here’s how it works:

1. You’ll walk away with clarity, context and solid next steps
2. You reach out through our inquiry form
3. We review and follow up to set up a call

Book a call

Let’s turn your “what if” into a plan.

FAQ

What is coliving?

Coliving is a shared housing model where residents have private bedrooms and shared common spaces.

Think: your own private bedroom, with shared kitchens, semi-private bathrooms and lounges.

What is a conversion?

Turning an existing space (like an office floor) into something new—like housing, in this case.

What kind of buildings can this work for?

Mostly vacant office buildings with decent layouts and access to light. Ideally located in downtowns or transit-accessible areas.

What is adaptive reuse?

It means reusing an existing building for a new purpose—instead of tearing it down and starting from scratch.

You work with what’s already built: the structure, the walls, the plumbing cores.
It’s faster, cheaper and way better for the planet.

Is this environmentally friendly?

Yes. Reusing buildings = less demolition waste, less carbon and more sustainable cities.

Toboggan Flats focuses on youth. Does my project need to have a specific demographic focus?

Nope! The tool works for any potential coliving model—students, seniors, newcomers, multi-generation and more.

Do I have to be in Canada to use the tool?

No—anyone can try it. But our consulting support and data models are tailored to the Canadian context.

vacant office building downtown
Nathi Zamisa; Co-Executive Director, HOUSE Canada

“Toboggan Flats’ innovative early feasibility assessment tool is in many ways a game-changer for Housing Our University Student Equitably Canada (HOUSE Canada). 

It has nearly doubled our on/off-market development options, which have re-centred redevelopment as a financially viable way of creating affordable non-profit housing for post-secondary students and young adults. And it has [for the first time] demonstrated the value of Turning Empty Offices into Affordable Co-Living for Students in Canada, shifting how we engage with prospective institutional partners.

Simply put—the math makes sense, the timelines are shorter, and it fits within our social enterprise model, all the while being more financially and environmentally sustainable than any new-build project we have considered. 

That’s why we’re doing everything we can to help policy and decision makers see what coliving can offer to students and young working professionals across Canada.”

 — Nathi Zamisa
Co-Executive Director, HOUSE Canada

Cover: Turning Empty Offices Into Affordable Coliving A National Housing Strategy Demonstrations Initiative

Get the story behind the tools

Curious how these tools came to life? Toboggan Flats’ National Housing Strategy Demonstrations Initiative project (funded by CMHC, Jan–Jul 2025) put a bold idea to the test: can Canada’s empty downtown offices be reborn as affordable coliving spaces? The answer points to housing that’s faster, greener, cheaper—and more connected.

Download the full case study, Turning Empty Offices Into Affordable Coliving (aussi disponible en français), to see what we learned, how partners across the country tested the model, and what’s needed to make office-to-coliving conversions possible where you are.

Download

DISCLAIMER

The Toboggan Flats Demonstration Project received funding from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) under the NHS Demonstrations Initiative. However, the views expressed are the personal views of Toboggan Flats, and CMHC accepts no responsibility for them.