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HABITAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF NEW TYPE OF PRECEDENT FOR FAMILY HOUSING THAT INCORPORATED THE LUXURIES OF COMMUNITY AND TRANQUIL SOLITUDE. IT INCORPORATED THE CIRCULATION OF PEDESTRIAN STREETS IN ORDER TO GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS AS WELL AS PRIVATE BALCONIES THAT WAS SURROUNDED BY NATURE. IT OVERLOOKS THE RIVER AND IS SET IN A LANDSCAPE CAPABLE FOR LONG STROLLS OR LARGE GATHERINGS. IT COMES FROM THE CONCEPT OF MEDITERRANEAN VILLAGES WHICH ALLOW FOR LARGE GREEN AREAS INSIDE A BUSTLING TOWN WHERE ONE MAY ENJOY HAVING LIVESTOCK OF FARMING. HABITAT WAS ULTIMATELY A BUILDING WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
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HABITAT WAS ESTIMATED TO COST FORTY-TWO MILLION DOLLARS AT FORTY-FOUR THOUSAND PER UNIT. EXPO FUNDED THE DESIGN PHASES FOR HABITAT WHICH FORCED SAFDIE TO RESIGN FROM CONSULTING ARCHITECT OF EXPO AND START HIS OWN FIRM IN ORDER TO FINISH HABITAT. HABITAT WOULD ONLY GENERATE AROUND TWENTY-TWO MILLION IN REVENUE, THE OTHER TWENTY MILLION WAS UP IN THE AIR FOR TWO MONTHS WHILE SAFDIE AND THE DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS WERE PITCHING PRESENTATIONS EVERY DAY TO EVERY BIG CORPORATION THEY COULD THINK OF. THEY RECEIVED SOME OFFERS BUT ONLY IN THE TERMS THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE A TAX WRITE OFF. THEY TOOK THESE OFFERS TO THE CABINET COMMITTEE AND MINISTER IN CHARGE OF EXPO WHICH DECIDED THAT HAVING HABITAT AS THIS TYPE OF PRECEDENT OF TAX WRITE-OFFS WAS NOT ACHIEVABLE. THE CABINET COMMITTEE THEMSELVES ENDED UP OFFERING HIM TEN MILLION PLUS ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO FINISH THE PROJECT WHICH WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO SAFDIE AS HE WOULD NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO COMPLETE HABITAT AS HOW HE ENVISIONED IT TO BE. THIS UNFORTUNATE REALIZATION OF BUDGET IS THE REASON WHY HABITAT WAS BUILT ONLY AS HOUSING UNITS. THE ENVISIONED CITY-LIKE ENVIRONMENT BUILDINGS THAT WERE TO BE INTEGRATED WITHIN THE HOUSING WAS THE ENTIRE CONCEPT AROUND HABITAT, AND IT WAS LOST. SAFDIE HAD TO RE-ENVISION THE ENTIRE PROJECT BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL, RHOMBOIDAL SHAPE DESIGN WAS TOO EXPENSIVE AND MEANT TO INCLUDE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. THE LOWEST BID CAME IN AT RIGHT UNDER TWELVE MILLION FOR THE UPDATED DESIGN WHICH BROUGHT THE ENTIRE PROJECT TO THIRTEEN AND A HALF MILLION THAT INCLUDED DESIGN, WHICH MADE HABITAT ON THE LINE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO BE BUILT. THE PRICE WAS ACCEPTED AND THE COMPLETE SET OF FINALIZED DRAWINGS FOR HABITAT WERE FINISHED IN SIX MONTHS, BY MAY OF 1965.