MEDS Design‑Build

Until 2018, the School of Architecture's Master of Environmental Design Studies program has focused on Design-Build, led by Ted Cavanagh and his Coastal Studio. The MEDS program will not be offered in 2023–24 and is not accepting applications. If it is revived in the future, this will be announced here.

Coastal Studio

Coastal Studio made community buildings and transferred knowledge of innovative techniques to local builders and trades. It used evidence-based design and techniques of community participation. It developed a new reflective approach to technology innovation, driven by insights of the humanities and social sciences. This included input from community, sociologists, philosophers, historians, and economists. It was also connected through architecture to practical application in the construction sector. It created a network of early adopters in Canada and supported a culture of innovation in architecture.

Since 2004, Coastal Studio has built pavilions for community use, including the 2010 lamella vault, the 2012 brick vault, and the 2014 gridshell. For a complete list of projects and the most recent work in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, see the Coastal Studio website and Ted Cavanagh's faculty profile.