Due to the pressure of increasing population growth in Skidegate, BC, large areas
of land adjacent to the Skidegate Reserve have been purchased by the Skidegate Band to
satisfy the community's housing needs. These areas, having been developed following a
typical suburban subdivision approach, have considerably increased infrastructure costs
and have spread development out to inaccessible areas isolated from the existing
community.
This project proposes an alternative to this type of development, it reduces the
environmental impact of the development as well as its cost, and it attempts to re-introduce
the concept of community and its cultural heritage.
My interpretation of Haida cosmology operates at two scales in the project. On the
site planning level, the development finds its precedent in the linear development of
traditional Haida villages. In terms of the housing, the three axes that define the paths of
supernatural power : central vertical axis (hearth), longitudinal axis (connection between
the forest, the house and the water) and the transverse axis (link between the houses along
the line) have served as vehicles for introducing elements of Haida traditional culture.
The development occupies one-third of an area currently clear-cut, the remaining
two-thirds would be re-forested. Clusters of houses are placed on either side of a central
gravel road maintaining the road on one level.
Within every cluster there are three zones: a parking/workshop area adjacent to the
road; a common area shared by the houses of every cluster; houses arranged along an
axis. Each house is given the same view opportunities, level of privacy and access
privileges.
Each cluster contains different housing units based on a prototype. The prototype
has a central continuous post and beam structure that contains common areas, and two
enclosed side bays for more private functions. The spatial continuity within the post and
beam structure establishes the connection between the water, the house and the forest. This
prototype responds to the diversity of family types within this community, and the
technology allows for user involvement in the construction process.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/3707 |
| Date | January 1900 |
| Creators | LLanos, Ana Maria |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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