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An innovative children's amphitheatre project in Cheticamp has earned a national architecture award for a team of Dalhousie students and faculty.
Le ThŽ‰tre Petit Cercle, designed and constructed by 27 students and professors in Dalhousie's Faculty of Architecture and Planning, took the top architecture honour Nov. 29 at the National Post Design Exchange Awards in Toronto.
An outstanding example of community-based design, the outdoor theatre won the gold award in the Commercial Architecture category for public and corporate buildings. Criteria included function, aesthetics and economic success. Professors Ted Cavanagh and Richard Kroeker attended the gala awards dinner, held on the historic Trading Floor at the Design Exchange (DX), Canada's design museum.
The theatre was designed, constructed and paid for in just two weeks during the summer of 2004. It was launched as a performance venue for Le Troisime Congrs Mondiale Acadien, Nova Scotia's celebration of 400 years of French settlement in Canada.
The Dalhousie team collaborated closely with the local population, drawing on the strong community spirit and sense of place for design ideas, while adapting to local building methods and climate issues.
Moored to a playground slide, the theatre playfully engages les sutes, Cheticamp's notorious brute winds of up to 150 kilometres per hour. Wooden cribwork walls are perforated and curved to reduce resistance to the wind, and rock ballasts provide further support. The slide anchoring the building is decorated with an Acadian wind sock banner, and children can make a grand sliding entry into the space.
"The thing that's really strong about it is that the whole community was involved. Once they saw what we were doing, everybody wanted to help in every way they could," says Prof. Cavanagh.
The Dal architecture team held public meetings and brainstorming sessions, and the local Co-op store provided lumber at a fraction of its usual cost. The students, including some on exchange from Germany and Botswana, camped out at the site and scavenged beaches for some building materials while raising $14,000 to pay for the rest. One night, local fishermen came by with fresh crab for everyone.
The project was an intense learning experience for the students since it took them far beyond the classroom.
"It's the dilemma of our field," says Prof. Cavanagh. "We spend a lot of time in the studio, imagining buildings. To imagine and do at the same time is pretty rare."An exhibition showcasing all finalist projects remains on view at DX throughout December. Runners-up were the Angus Glen Community Centre and Library in Markham, Ontario; the University of Toronto's Early Learning Centre; and the Art Gallery of Hamilton Renewal, all designed by private architecture firms.
The project has generated substantial further funding toward developing an annual children's Fine Arts camp at the site to promote Acadian culture. This second phase is now underway, with a research creation grant of $200,000 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and $100,000 in funding from other sources such as Canada Wood Council.
Profs. Cavanagh, Kroeker and Roger Mullin have also earned a Collaborative Practice Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, which represents all architecture schools in Canada and the U.S.
Prof. Cavanagh's current research concentrates on combining traditional knowledge with innovative design practices, with a focus on community networks and integrated resource management. The aim is to understand how building methods and community design can resolve complex circumstances, and to show how inclusive methods of planning can improve the overall effectiveness of new design.
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