The Forest School by Grounded Architecture

THE FOREST SCHOOL

Land Acknowledgement Grounded Architecture is situated on Treaty #1 and Treaty #3 Territory. We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, we acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.

“… a space that is somehow meaningfully organized and on the very point of speech, a kind of articulated thinking that fails to reach its ultimate translation in proposition or concepts, in messages … the various landscapes, from frozen inland wastes to the river and the coast itself, speak multiple languages … and emit a remarkable range of articulated messages.”

– Peter Kulchyski, from Like the Sound of a Drum: Aboriginal Cultural Politics in Denendeh and Nunavut

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TABL E OF CONT ENTS

1. VISION STATEMENT

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2. FIVE DECOLONIZING DESIGN PARADIGMS

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3. PROJECTS THAT INSPIRE US.

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Hooke Park

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Rural Studio

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The Ghost Lab

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4. SITE MAP

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5. A SPACE WHERE ALL ARE WELCOME

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The Forest Lab

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6. PROJECTS THAT SHAPED US.

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Summer Design + Build

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Sabe

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7. CONCLUDING STATEMENT

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V ISI ON STAT EMENT / WH O W E A RE Faculty of Architecture Assistant Professor and Indigenous Scholar Shawn Bailey is developing the ‘Forest School’ near Longbow Lake, ON. The Forest School is a place where students and faculty spend time on the Land, learn from local Knowledge Keepers and Elders, engage with Indigenous community partners, and practice their learning through materials-based installations and the design and construction of small infrastructure projects.

The Forest School is a place for two-eyed seeing – combining Indigenous understandings of climate and environment with Western Knowledge to foster climate-positive research and design work.

Involving Indigenous teachings and storytelling reveal renewed approaches to sustainability through visions of relationality. The site is operating to understand how traditional Indigenous Knowledge can intertwine with practice and pedagogy, build community, and seek meaningful ways of including the natural world. The aim is to orient Indigenous Knowledge into research and curriculum, specifically in design courses in the Faculties of Architecture and Engineering.

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The ambition is to develop a place for relationship building, creativity and innovation motivated through energetic exchanges with the Land. The multidisciplinary approach will allow researchers, students, artists, and industry to connect with Indigenous Knowledge, Land, and technology at the “Forest School.” The most significant piece will be to provide impactful opportunities for students to experience the Land, work with Indigenous collaborators, and make at full scale. These activities will be for degree credit in undergraduate and graduate architecture and/or engineering programs.

Through these collaborative design-build studios, students will construct simple, sustainable infrastructure on the site, including a gathering space, kitchen, washrooms, tent platforms, and eventually small sleeping cabins. The structures will be used for educational and community gatherings and ceremonies for the University of Manitoba and the local community.

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FIVE-DECOLONIZING DESIGN PARADIGMS

Grounded Architecture and the Forest School’s approaches the practice of architecture with Founder Shawn Bailey’s “Decolonized Design Process with Five Indigenous Design Paradigms.” Article Link: https://www.canadianarchitect.com/

decolonizing-the-design-process-with-five-indigenous-land-based-paradigms/

Five Decolonizing Design Paradigms embrace the Ojibway concept of MinoBimaadiziwin, which means the good life for all nations’ people. This promotes Indigenous Knowledge, Land as pedagogy, inclusion and process-based experiences through exploration, contemplation, and reflection.

The inclusion of the paradigms into Western processes can restore, identify and reduce systemic and organizational barriers to housing.

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D A NA KAMIGAD / IT TAKES PLACE, HAPPENS IN A CERTAIN PLACE It takes place and happens in a certain place. To truly grasp a place, we must immerse ourselves in it, building relationships with the environment and the community. This place-based understanding is pivotal for ecological design, bridging the gap between us and nature.

We can better connect with our surroundings and enhance our creative practices by fostering openness and kindness. This holistic perspective influences our designs, emphasizing the profound interconnectivity betw een the client, designer, and the natural world. It is an essential goal for architecture to be place-based.

A NDO TAN / LISTEN TO IT, WAIT TO HEAR IT Andotan emphasizes cultivating creativity and a connection with the Land , urging individuals to ground themselves across all dimensions.

By fostering open dialogue and collaboration, the approach values intuition, listening, and developing deep ties with the community and one’s surroundings. This decolonial act highlights the power of trust in the creative process, celebrating the genuine absorption of shared experiences and connection to the place. Recognizing the need to slow down, Andotan’s paradigm seeks to unveil hidden potentials and shatter existing boundaries, paving the way for transformative outcomes.

BA WA A J I GAN / A DREAM, A VISION Bawaajigan embodies the essence of Andotan, emphasizing the appearance of visions through intuitive and spontaneous actions.

Contrary to common beliefs that associate intuition with a lack of accountability in design, Bawaajigan highlights our inherent creative awareness, which brings forth design concepts from an attentive understanding of a project’s complexities. In our work, the challenge is teaching collaborators that designs manifest organically; they can’t be forced. Bawaajigan offers not a specific design but a relational guide for the design journey.

M E S HKW AD / IN TURN, IN EXCHANGE Meshkwad embodies a journey of humble design, urging designers to recognize the mutual gifts between themselves and collaborators.

We must ensure our designs aren’t burdensome but beneficial to all, including non-human entities. Going beyond mere sustainability, authentic ecological design fosters profound connections to the Land, positioning design as a dynamic exchange, continually revisiting the reciprocity symbolized by “Meshkwad.”

N A AG A TOON / MAKE IT SHOW, REVEAL IT Storytelling, beyond entertainment, unlocks opportunitie and underscores successful projects. In design, embracing the journey conv eys a narrative, facilitating reflection, learning, and a decolonizing, knowledge-sharing process. While the approach is ever-evolving, the goal remains an ecologically responsive world, interweaving respect for the Land and one another. Richard Wagamese notes that our essence is our story, from birth to our spiritual continuation.

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PROJECTS THAT INSPIRE US. The development of The Forest School has been heavily influenced and inspired by the ground-breaking work already present in the world such as Hooke Park at the Architectural Association in London, Rural Studio at Auburn University based in Alabama, and The Ghost Lab by Brian MacKay-Lyons. These projects have proved that deconstructing traditional practice is very much possible, even having the capacity to make major waves within areas of building technology and social justice. Like these projects, at The Forest School Grounded aims to bring together outstanding individuals to provoke conversations about the Land, technology, and design research.

Hooke Park. (2019). Analog fabrication. In Z. Mollica & C. Sadd (Authors), Past, Present and Future of Hooke Park, the Architectural Association’s (Un)usual Forest (2020). https://zacharymolli.ca/assets/download/WoodlandHeritage_ PastPresentFutureHookePark.pdf

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H O OKE PARK / A RCHITEC TURA L A SSOC I A TI ON L O C ATION / DOR SET, SO UTH W EST EN G LA N D Y E A R E STAB LIS HED / 2 0 0 2 (YEA R TH E A A R ECE IV ED OW N ER S HIP) Hooke Park is owned by the Architectural Association’s Woodland site located in Dorset, Southwest England. It is a 150-hectare working forest which facilitates experimental architectural education consisting of workshops, construction, an educational facility, and landscape focused activities.1 The intention of Hooke Park is to participate in these activities to provide an opportunity to be inventive and re-imagine architecture to address climate change.

The site is almost 40 years old with many experimental architectures and original constructions from 1987 and 1989 still standing on site with barely any maintenance done to the building.

The Design and Make workshop is located on site and majority of the materials used in the construction are from site. Yet the materials still reveal what they are, such as the trees. Trees harvested from Hooke Park remain in their natural state and are carefully organized using technology to understand and reveal the natural properties of the form.

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Architectural AssociationSchool of Architecture: Hooke Park (2023). An overview of Hooke Park. https://hookepark.aaschool.ac.uk/about/

Architectural Association Design and Make students with Aurp Engineers. (2017). Sawmill Shelter. Architectural Association School of Architecture: Hooke Park. https://hookepark.aaschool. ac.uk/sawmill-shelter/

Bennett, V. (2017). [Photo of students and lumber beams]. In Hooke Park Big Shed. Invisible Studio. https://www.invisiblestudio.org/selected_work/hooke-park-big-shed-2/

Halabi, H., Acland, E., Hong, H., Vitzthum, L., Zhang, Q., Suliat, A., Grey, A., Luna, I., Leung, C. L., &Ngo, H. (2015).

Observatory Pavilion: Framing Hooke Park. Hania Halabi. https://www.haniahalabi.com/observatory-pavilion-framing-hooke-park

Mikurcik, G. (2015). Visit to Hooke Park. Architype. https://www.architype.co.uk/blog/visit-to-hooke-park/

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R U RA L STUDIO / AUBURN UN I V ERSI TY L O C ATION / NEW BER N, A LA BA MA Y E A R E STAB LIS HED / A UGUST 1993 Rural Studio, located in Hale County, Alabama is a Design-Build program that is part of the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture of Auburn University. Rural Studio establishes a precedent by offering a distinctive educational approach, focusing on sustainable construction methods and building systems.

This approach aims to foster healthy rural living while simultaneously supporting the community’s infrastructure.

In doing so, Rural Studio cultivates an environment where students become not only local architects but also global citizens.2 Rural Studio has design and built more than 200 projects and have educated more than 1,200 students. Rural Studio focuses on innovative practices in success and affordability, effective and efficient timber use, small scale framing, and access to clean water. These components are integral to the long term well being and regional sustainability that the Rural School fosters.2

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Rural Studio. (2023). Becoming the Town Architect - About. https://ruralstudio.org/about/

Rural Studio. (2021). Student design team on the construction site [Photograph]. In S. Sculco (Author), Architecture students at Rural Studio build their first open-ended kit house. Stir World. https://www.stirworld.com/think-opinionsarchitecture-students-at-rural-studio-build-their-first-openended-kit-house

Bishop, N., Garmestani, G., & Wickersham, N. (2010). Thinnings Bridge. Rural Studio. https://ruralstudio.org/project/thinnings-bridge/

TH E G HO S T LAB / BRIA N MA C K A Y - L Y ON S L O C ATION / KIN GSBUR G, NOVA SC OTIA Y E A R E STAB LIS HED / 1994 Brian MacKay-Lyons created the “Ghost Laboratory” as an architectural educational centre due to his frustration of the state of architectural education. Located on the Shobac farm in Kingsburg, Nova Scotia MacKay-Lyons decided to take his students out to hi 48 acre property to do a two-week design/build that explores the vernacular of Nova Scotia, restoring/re-imagining buildings that exist and and existed on site, explorative architecture that is humble and built with modest means.

The permanent structures now occupy the Shobac Campus in which are now part and products of the design/build curriculum providing accommodation for the program and a place to hold community events.3 The campus is an architectural utopia of vernacular architecture that is respectful of the landscape allowing most of the land to be cultivated for agriculture and the architecture remaining in close proximity.

Structures typically face south, structures are constructed of local technology and local renewable materials from nearby sawmills. The structures showcase how by listening to site, its traditions, culture, and history reveals a richness to simplicity allowing architecture students to carry what they have learned forward throughout the rest of their careers.

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MacKay-Lyons, B. (2021). Ghost. MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited. https://www.mlsarchitects.ca/ghost-1

MacKay-Lyons, B. (1994). Ghost 1 [Photograph]. MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited. https://www.mlsarchitects.ca/ghost-1

MacKay-Lyons, B. (2006). Ghost 8 [Photograph]. MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited. https://www.mlsarchitects.ca/ghost-1

MacKay-Lyons, B. (2003). Ghost 5 [Photograph]. MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited. https://www. mlsarchitects.ca/ghost-1

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SITE MAP 362 Longbow Lake Road Longbow Lake, ON 16

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A SPACE WHERE

ALL ARE WELCOME.

Motivated through an Indigenous lens, the ambition is to build a place for relationship building, creativity and innovation motivated through energetic exchanges with the Land. The approach will be multidisciplinary, providing researchers, students, artists and industry the ability to connect with both Land and technology while sharing in building a unique community of imagination.

The site is located 20 kilometres East of Kenora (230 km from Winnipeg), Ontario, on 80 acres of Boreal Forest.

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TH E F O R EST LAB / SEEKING FUN DI N G Whilst dreaming into the future of the Forest School Site, a central building which can hold ceremony, facilitate structure research, and host visitors of the site is essential to the site’s future viability. The space will contain washrooms, a multipurpose space for hosting groups and holding ceremony, a spacious workshop, plenty of storage, and an office nestled in the trees for the Grounded Architecture practice.

The building aims to support schools within the surrounding area, host ceremony and classes, and promote materials, technology, and construction research. As well, through the act of bringing people together, the structure will promote meaningful and important conversations which question the sensitive relationships between humans and nature.

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WOR KS H O P SP A C E

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G A T H E RI NG S P A C E

G RO U NDED ARC H ITETCUR E O FFICE SPA C E

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TH E FORES T L A B PL A N 25

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PROJECTS THAT SHAPED US. The following projects have played a monumental role in developing and orienting Grounded Architecture’s design philosophy. These projects which have taken place at The Forest School have brought about such important, meaningful, and humble conversations about the relationships involving the Land, architectural practice, and interdisciplinary relations. The Land taking on the role as a mentor and teacher has been a major take-away from these projects. Such methods of working where intuition and collaboration are valued have the potential to break down colonial and capitalist boundaries.

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D E S I G N + BUILD (S UMMER 2 0 2 3 )

IN COL L AB ORATI O N W I TH THE UNI VE R S ITY OF M A N ITOB A ’ S F A CULTY OF ARCH ITECTU RE A ND PR I C E FA C ULTY OF E N G IN E ER IN G

In collaboration with the Forest School and the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Architecture and Price Faculty of Engineering, a summer course was offered which brought students and researchers of the two fields out onto the Land to design ‘A Space for Gathering’.

Methods and tools such as modeling making, wood steam bending, and AI where implemented.

The class came together to design and built a sensitive structure which arose from material exploration, conversations about the Land, and trust in each other as well as the process.

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SA B E ( FA LL 2021)

IN COL L AB ORATI O N W I TH THE UNI VE R S ITY OF M A N ITOB A ’ S F A CU L T Y OF ARC HI TEC TUR E

As part of a collaborative fourth year Architecture Design Studio at the University of Manitoba between Shawn Bailey and Lancelot Coar, the students spent time at the Forest School. During that time the students learnt about Indigenous ways of thinking and participated in Indigenous ceremony with Knowledge Keeper Calvin Skead. As well, a structure made from trees was built by the students in a process which involved listening to the material and group coordination.

The final structure was named ‘Sabe’ in reference to Indigenous stories of the mythical giant who represents honesty. The ephemeral structure stood tall until Winter 2022, when it fell and returned to the earth.

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(RE) FRAMING, (RE) MAPPING

The climate crisis, housing affordability, and homelessness are just some of the issues which plague Canada today. Standard approaches to architecture often perpetuate such issues by remaining indifferent, or being heavily swayed by de-humanizing capitalistic motives. Therefore, a shift must occur within architectural practice. Architecture of the present day demands to be questioned in response to the ever-changing social, political, and environmental states of the world. By being contextually sensitive, ecologically driven, community focused, and pushing process, Grounded Architecture aims to re-think practice in a way rooted in both Indigenous Ways of Knowing, and Western worldviews.

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