CCA - Interuniversity Charrette 2008

Introduction

The Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), in collaboration with the École de Design de l'Université du Québec à Montréal, Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université Laval, Carleton University and Ryerson University is organizing a design charrette related to the ongoing housing crisis in Nunavik. Participants will be invited to propose design solutions at a variety of scales encompassing urbanism, architecture and industrial design.

The university charrette will run from Thursday October 30th to Monday, Nov 3rd 2008. All projects submitted will be exhibited at UQAM’s Coeur des Science (175, avenue du Président-Kennedy) from November 3-5th 2008.This is the 14th edition of the university charrette. It is now an annual forum for young creators in the fields of design and planning, bringing together the full range of design-related disciplines: architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, industrial design, interior design, and graphic design. In addition to university students, the charrette welcomes young designers (recent graduates) participating in internships with professional associations in Quebec.

Charrette 2008 organised by UQÀM.
Graphic Design & Web Site: RENARD.

Preamble

Nunavik, the vast Inuit territory of Northern Quebec, is gripped by an ongoing and systemic housing crisis. A history of inadequate and insufficient housing coupled with an exploding demographic has created an urgent public health situation manifested by severe overcrowding, deficient sanitation and ventilation, the spread of infectious diseases, psycho-social stresses, and violence. This crisis exists across Inuit communities of the North, but it is worse and worsening in Nunavik.

The housing crisis is a political and a historical issue, but it is also very much an issue of culture and of architecture. The extremely accelerated and forced transition of the nomadic Inuit into sedentary communities between 1930 and 1950 was an enormous cultural upheaval with widespread repercussions for the Inuit and their way of life. A sophisticated array of Inuit artefacts and nomadic architectures had evolved over thousands of years and is proof of a thriving material culture which was completely adapted to its northern environment. In contrast, the contemporary architecture the Inuit now inhabit is to a large extent derived from the architecture, the climate and the culture of the South. Is it any wonder then that the Inuit do not feel “at home” in their new homes?

This year’s Charrette challenges students to propose an architecture adapted to the northern environment; an architecture of the North : an architecture properly oriented for the wind which blow strong and cold from the northwest all winter whether we live in Montreal or Inukjuak ; an architecture which corresponds to the extreme variations in sunlight experienced from season to season at high latitudes ; an architecture which reflects the traditional but also the modern ways of life of today’s Inuit societies ; an architecture which addresses the present housing crisis in Nunavik.

The Site

Inukjuak, which translates as “the Giant” is the fastest growing community in Nunavik and is the site of the 2008 Inter-University Charrette. From 2001 to 2006 the population of Inukjuak grew from 1294 to 1597, an incredible increase of 23.4% (compared to 2.3% for Montreal). The community is located on the north bank of the Innuksuak River, known for its turquoise water and turbulent rapids. The many archaeological sites scattered along the meandering river evidence thousands of years of inhabitation. The land around Inukjuak is marked by gently rolling hills and open spaces which endow the landscape with a "silent beauty," in the words of the locals. From the tundra, one may admire a splendid view of the village, its small port, the Hopewell Islands and Hudson Bay. In spring, ice between these islands and the mainland is moved by the action of tides and currents to create a spectacular field of immense, upraised blocks of ice.

The Project

Participants are challenged to propose inventive and imaginative solutions to address the housing shortage in Inukjuak. This is a complex problem which can be addressed at a variety of scales and from a number of different perspectives. Proposals can address the housing crisis directly or obliquely; they can make use of graphics, architecture, objects, landscape, infrastructure, planning, engineering etc. Participants are encouraged to develop a design approach based on their abilities and on their understanding of the situation, the site and its potential. Here are some possible directions:

Imagine a single family housing unit suited to the North and to the Inuit of Inukjuak.
Propose a short term housing solution for the 80 young Inuit who are currently on waiting lists for housing in Inukjuak.
Create propaganda which publicises the ongoing housing crisis in the North.
Imagine a prefab construction system which makes use of a small factory sited somewhere in Inukjuak.
Propose a bridge and a strategy to inhabit the southeast shoreline of the Innuksuak River.
Imagine a system of housing units which addresses clustering and inter-generational connections within the Inuit community.
Propose a winter as well as a corresponding summer housing solution which draws on the nomadic traditions of the Inuit.
Provide a housing solution for the 80-100 families who are currently on waiting lists for housing in Inukjuak.

Further Considerations

Climat: An Arctic climate prevails north of the 55th parallel, where the winter is both long (up to 8 months a year) and extremely cold. Strong winds, gusting up to 160 km per hour, sweep the snow away or bank it up around buildings. In general, the wind blows from the northwest in winter and from the south in summer. If a building is properly sited, winter winds can clear away snow and summer wind can clear away insects.
Permafrost: The ground in the Northern villages of Nunavik is permanently frozen. At present, housing in Nunavik is built 1m up above the ground and sits on jacks or piles. This is done to avoid snow accumulation around houses and also to avoid thawing the permafrost and thus destabilising the houses. In recent years, melting permafrost has become a growing concern and many houses have had to be re-adjusted or moved.
Construction industry: The construction industry is an extremely important economic pillar of northern communities. It is vital that housing proposals are designed so as to create employment in the North. The construction season in the North is extremely short lasting only 2-4 months.
Transportation: It is very expensive to build in the north and almost all materials must be brought in by plane ($$) or by boat($).

Work Documents, Texts and Video

CAD files: Complete CAD file of Inukjuak (DWG). Layers include hypsography, buildings, roads, the water line, an archelogical map of the area and a aerial photographic view. It shows not only the village but also the extended area around Inukjuak.; PDF directory. Includes a PDF equivalent of the DWG file, seperate files for each layers, the archelogical map of the area and aerial photographic view of Inukjuak.
Maps: Google Map of Inukjuak. Includes photographic references of the area.; Katavik Community Geoportal: Interactive maps and visualization of land-use data
Photographs: Photograph Directory (49 total). Includes many photographs of the village and surrounding area (aerial and terrestrial), scans of photographs, plans and sections of local constructions and other cold climate buildings.
Presentations: Inuit traditions and Housing realities in Nunavik, prepared for the 2008 CCA charette by Andy Moorhouse, President of the Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau and former mayor of Inukjuak.
Texts: Cold Snap, a survey on living and building in cold climates. Prepared by the three CCA PowerCorp Scholars: Tomel Bartczak, Shannon Harvey, Per Kefgen.; Backgrounder on Inuit and Housing (PDF), prepared by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.; Housing in Nunavik (PDF) prepared by Société d’habitation du Québec. Page 47 is particularily interesting as it shows plans of all previous housing types.; Dawson, Peter C., Unfriendly Architecture: Using Observations of Inuit Spatial Behavior to Design Culturally Sustaining Houses in Arctic Canada (PDF); Dawson, Peter C., Analysing the effects of spatial configuration on human movement and social interaction in Canadian Arctic communities (PDF)
Video: Perspectives on Northern Housing, entry for the short Video Competition held by ISUMA, CCA & UQAM.; Tugaliak (Ice Blocks), "Nunavut (Our Land) TV Series Episode 4. Igloolik, Fall 1945. Even here, news of the terrible world war raging outside makes people frightened and uneasy. They talk of the danger of the unknown future, of shamanistic intervention to protect their culture." Includes the construction of a ceremonial ice igloo.; Qulliq, "Women of the Video Collective reenact a traditional women's activity: the use of the "qulliq", the seal oil lamp and stove of the old days and only source of light and warmth."; Issaituq & 407 (short), Both are recently made by the youth collective. An insight on contemporary living in Inuit communities. "The story about a young Inuk who lost his love. Using alcohol, he is trying to put the reality and the past behind, but [it all] keeps hunting him."

Schedule

Thursday 30 Oct, 4 pm: Deadline for submission of teams (See the participation directives)
Thursday 30 Oct, 6 pm: Launching of the charrette at the CCA. After the presentations, a question period and discussion, an informal gathering for a glass of wine and some conversation will follow in the Shaughnessy House at the CCA.
Friday 31 Oct – Sunday 3 Nov: Students and recent graduates work en charrette. Students should contact the designated professor in their school or department to find out about available studio space and to reserve it.
Sunday 2 Nov, 5 pm: End of the charrette. Each school or department is responsible for the transport of the projects to the Coeur des Sciences de l'UQAM (175, avenue du Président-Kennedy) before 5:00 pm.
Monday 3 Nov, 6 pm: The jury meets on the morning of Monday November 14 to evaluate the projects. Awarding of prizes and the vernissage of the exhibition are at 6:00 pm at the Cœur des Sciences de l'UQAM (175, avenue du Président-Kennedy).
Tuesday 4 Nov, 10 am - 5 pm + Wednesday 5 Nov, 10 am - 2 pm: Projects will be exposed at the Cœur des Sciences de l'UQAM (175, avenue du Président-Kennedy).

Participation directives

Students can form teams of three to five people, including, if they wish, students from other disciplines or from other universities.
Stagiaire who wish to participate must form teams of stagiaires only (two or three).
Teams must ~~register online~~ before Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 4pm, providing the names and addresses of all team members.
Each team will present one A0 format (1189 mm x 841 mm) board oriented horizontally. The total or partial thickness of the board cannot exceed 50 mm. The weight of the board cannot exceed 500 grams.

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Patrick Evans at UQAM or the designated professors at each university.

Registration

Once the directives read, please thoroughly fill out the following form before 30 October 2008, 4 pm.

Last Name First Name University Departement School year Home adress Telephone Email
Last Name First Name University Departement School year Home adress Telephone Email
Last Name First Name University Departement School year Home adress Telephone Email
Last Name First Name University Departement School year Home adress Telephone Email
Last Name First Name University Departement School year Home adress Telephone Email

Our team prefers to work at The.
Our contact professor is . We name our collegue
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Submission and exhibit of projects

Each team will present one A0 format (1189 mm x 841 mm) board (must be mounted on foam core) oriented horizontally. The total or partial thickness of the board cannot exceed 50 mm. The weight of the board cannot exceed 500 grams.
Identify the members of your team at the back of the board only.
All projects must be handed in at the Cœur des Sciences de l'UQÀM (175, avenue du Président-Kennedy) before Sunday 2 November 2008, 6 pm. Do note that the building's entrance is not on President-Kennedy: access is located between UQAM's Président-Kennedy pavillion (201, Président-Kennedy ave.) and the St-John the Evangelist church (with the red rooftop, 137, Président-Kennedy ave.)
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projects will be presented at the Cœur des Sciences de l'UQAM on Monday November 3rd 6 pm - 9 pm (vernissage) and exposed from November 4th 10 am - 5 pm and November 5th from 10 am - 2 pm. Projects may also be exhibited in Northern Communities (to be determined)

Exhibition

View more photos of the exhibit and vernissage

Jury

The members of the jury were thoroughly surprised at the quantity and quality of proposals on a subject that required considerable research in a short period of time.

Of the eight areas of investigation suggested in the charrete documents, contestants concentrated primarily on the question of individual and collective housing, while some entrants chose to focus on publicity or critical questioning of the public administration of supply and planning in Nunavik. Therefore, it was decided to divide the proposals into two groups: Action and Agitation. Because there were more participants in the Action group, three prizes and one honourable mention were awarded in that category. The Agitation group received one prize and one honourable mention.

The jury appreciated the high standards of the contestants' methods and their generous contribution to the recognition of the serious problems of housing in the North.

Members of the jury

Alain Fournier, President of the jury: Architect, Fournier Gersovitz et Moss architectes associés. Mr Fournier has worked in Nunavik for the past 25 years. He has designed and built the Kujuak airport and has been recently working on social housing.
Georges Adamczyk: Tenured professor of the Faculté de l'aménagement of l’University of Montreal. Historian and theoretician of architecture.
Lisa Koperqualuk: Puvirnituq native, anthropologist, master student at Laval University.
Bill Semple: Architect, Senior researcher, Sustainable Housing Group, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Mr Semple has been working with northern communities for many years.

Winners: Action

1st Prize

58˚27'00"N, 78˚07'00"O

Team #2

Gabrielle Blais-Dufour (Université Laval), Alexandre Guèrin (Université Laval), Olivier Morin (UQAM), Emmanuelle Thibault (Université Laval).

Jury comments:The jury was immediately attracted to this entry and the number of competition issues that it addressed. The creation of multi-unit complexes that reinforced the choice and use of a sloped site at the edge of town along the shoreline of Hudson’s Bay was strong move on the part of this team. In addition to efforts made to create housing that would reinforce the multi-generational family, the careful use of the site, consideration given to the local climate including orientation to reinforce the passive solar nature of the complex, and the impact of wind on the housing units contributed to the strength of this entry.
With the Inuit preference for single story housing, the jury did question the use of ‘multi-story’ family complexes and felt a different orientation could have developed each housing unit on single floor, while increasing the area of southern exposure bringing more sunlight and passive solar gain into the units.

2nd Prize

Utilité Maximisant

Team #10

Alex Chouinard (Université Carleton), Steph Heddon (Université Carleton), Madyson McKay (Université Carleton), Katie Plye (Université Carleton).

Jury comments: What drew the jury’s attention to this project is not so much the final product but the potential for development it shows – its spark, which gives evidence of a very promising start. It set off daringly into the unknown, beyond well-defined models, rather than playing it safe. This openness is of primary importance in the context of intercultural dialogue with the Nunavimmiut.
In itself, the idea of reuse and recycling is entirely praiseworthy. But containers and shipping crates have a negative cultural connotation. They are quite present in the landscape of Nunavik villages, at times overly so. And this precludes their use as shelter for human beings in this setting.

3rd Prize

Identité

Team #3

Philippe Bergeron (Stagiaire), Sonia Coulombe (Stagiaire).

Jury comments: The jury was quite interested in the industrial approach of the meticulously designed autonomous housing units proposed by these contestants. The ultra-technical aspect of the aerodynamic style was surprising, but an examination of the proposal clearly shows the contestants' attention to the concept of a dwelling that is progressive, personalized, self-sufficient in regard to energy and easily moved and adapted. The interior and potential for enlargement were carefully thought out. The "procedure" and "product" approach was realistic.
It remains for the creators of this project to integrate their proposal better culturally by imagining forms of grouping and high- and low-tech combinations, and by giving more visibility to the creative practices of Inukjuak residents.

Honorable Mention

Habiter Inukjuak

Team #27

Valérie Boulanger Robin (UQAM), Marie-Eve Lamarre (UQAM), Éléonore Leclerc (UQAM).

Jury comments: The project displayed ideas that the jury found important for consideration in northern housing. The jury was attracted to the creation of a southern facing courtyard for organizing the multi-unit complex and the considerations that were given to wind and snow drifting. The idea of using local materials and gabian baskets to build a stable foundation base for construction was also interesting.
The project did fall short in not developing the interior spaces, leaving the jury to imagine how these spaces would connect to the courtyard and work to reinforce the workings of the family and the sense of community.