The CCA, with the support of the Power Corporation of Canada, invites students enrolled at the Masters level in Canadian architecture schools to take part in a collaborative, three-month residency at the CCA on the topic of architecture and the environment.
The Environment
In the late 1960s and 1970s, a rising awareness of environmental issues in society caused architects and planners to rethink their professions and practices, not only in regard to sources of renewable energy, but also through experimentation with forms of cohabitation. Alternative projects began to be covered in the architectural press before these kinds of green strategies became institutionalized and economized during the 1980s. Revisiting this recent history of eco- and solar architecture today provides a more informed and critical perspective on current concerns. Through the comparative reading of North American and international journals, students at the Masters level will learn how environmental issues were communicated and get a better understanding of the rise of an eco-consciousness in the fields of architecture and planning. Studying the theme on the basis of publications and documents from the CCA Collection, with the help of other resources, they will develop a unique contextual perspective and acquire fundamental skills in archival research.
The topics to be considered will range beyond mere aesthetic and technical considerations to include the autonomous house; decentralized and integrated ...