The future of Amherst Island: Students explore “future architecture” with local community.
In early October, thirteen fourth-year undergraduate architecture students from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) boarded the ferry to Amherst Island, an idyllic rural community on Lake Ontario. Led by Professor George Thomas Kapelos, the students spent the next three days learning about the Island community from the very people who live there. The trip was part of a design studio that tasked students with formulating preliminary designs for “future architecture” to address the needs of Amherst Island decades from now.
“This studio was such a unique experience – getting to pack our bags, hop on a train, and spend time with the people and community we were designing for. Working first-hand with residents to design local spaces pushed my technical skills and inspired me to think more creatively.
Students heading over to Amherst Island on the ferry.
The students gather at the home of Bruce and Susie Caughey for a welcome lunch, sponsored by Amherst Island Mutual Insurance Company and the Caughey family.
Island resident Lori Godden welcomes guests to the Caughey family welcome lunch, complete with freshly baked pies.
Amherst Island is a tight-knit community and popular summer destination facing unique challenges and opportunities; a changing population, new industries, woodland loss, and the construction of wind turbines, to name a few. Before the trip, students had remote conversations with community members, business owners, the deputy mayor, and community associations, including the medical clinic, to understand better the Island's history, society, and ecology. They also researched award-winning future-looking architecture projects to understand the scope of the problem.
“We met the nicest people on the trip, it felt like a true Canadian experience. The community was so supportive of us, from funding to home-cooked meals. It was really nice to feel part of community building.”
(Left) TMU student Leshin Chew had a chance to get close and personal with some sheep during a stop at Topsy Farm with resident Sally Bowen. (Right) Students exploring the collection at the Neilson Store Museum and Cultural Centre with guide Janet Scott.
Jaqui and Bill Jeffers, Island residents and stone wallers with Dry Stone Wall Canada, explaining dry stone wall construction to the students. Amherst Island has one of the most significant concentrations of historic dry stone wall anywhere in Canada.
Students learning about life on Amherst Island with Joyce Haynes of the Amherst Island Women's Institute – one the groups that supported the students' field trip.
Upon arriving on the Island, the trip began with a welcome lunch at the home of Bruce and Susie Caughey. Over the coming days, the students met with numerous residents and community leaders – touring homes, farms, museums, heritage sites, and the Island itself. They also identified potential design sites. By hearing firsthand about the Island’s history, peoples, and needs, as well as visiting the sites, students could evolve their designs to address the needs of current and future generations.
“This studio provides an opportunity for young aspiring architects to immerse themselves in the life of a community struggling to set a course for its future, reflect on what they see and may come to know, and develop new skills, new attitudes, and new ways of thinking for the architecture of tomorrow and decades to come.”
On the last day of the field trip, community members gathered with students who presented models they had built, exploring different approaches for creating small-scale flexible spaces for Island needs. The models stimulated discussion amongst community members on how modest, well-designed buildings could begin to meet the Island’s future. The students continued their work back in design studios at TMU and, as part of their coursework, will be presenting their completed projects at the end of the term. Members of the community are being invited to the final reviews. Plans are also being made for students to return to the Island in the spring and present their work to the community.
Thanks are extended to studio sponsors including TMU, the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, the Department of Architectural Science, Loyalist Township, and many Island businesses and individuals. Also a special thanks to Annick Mitchell, TMU Professor Emeritus and Island resident, for her support, encouragement, and participation in the development and execution of the field trip.
Photography credit: Martin MacLachlan
Students met with community members at the Parish Hall of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church. Here, TMU student Jana Stojanovska presents her research findings on "future projects" featured in the Architecture Review.
Community members met with students to hear about their visit to the Island and discuss their project models.
“Everyone on the Island was so passionate about sharing their knowledge and history with us. It was really cool to work directly with the residents and then see something you created receive a positive reaction from the community.”