When enabled by an adequate built-environment, humankind can find both welfare and meaning within the act of dwelling. This thesis explores the potential of the act of dwelling by framing an understanding of the built-environment as both the setting for, and the product of, dwelling. Humankind’s instinctive need for shelter has placed the house at the crossing point of rational and emotional action. In order to build good homes – that, beyond being economically conscious, are also socially meaningful – an exploration of the social, cultural, political, and economic factors pertaining to their construction, and a reflection on the theorization, production, and evaluation of residential architecture, are necessary. Driven to achieve meaning and economy in dwelling, and supported by historical and contemporary examples, this thesis develops an architectural proposal that integrates concepts of user agency, spatial flexibility, variable density, and financial feasibility in the form of a residential complex in Ottawa’s Centretown.