How do we create a sense of community through the process of designing and building? In this exhibition, students from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture reimagine familiar places throughout Galt as part of a studio course exploring Creativity, Identity, and Belonging in design.
In a sequence of three projects, students created a self-reflective narrative (Project 1), a community-based installation (Project 2), and a design for a building or place within the City of Cambridge (Project 3). By starting the creative process with an understanding of one's identity and values, the design exercises that followed stem from a place of care and connection. At the core of the studio course was a weekly series of collective conversations and workshops focussing on creativity and wellbeing. This exhibition documents a journey through finding belonging within the self, with others, and amongst a community.
The weekly practices and installations sit at the centre of the exhibition, as the heart of the studio course. These practices nurtured a sense of empathy and understanding among the students, reinforcing a commitment to creating spaces that foster a sense of belonging for the community. Projects exploring new visions for Galt, including community hubs, performance spaces, and street markets, are found along the perimeter of the exhibition circle. Collectively, the circle is a demonstration of how identity can provide a meaningful foundation for the creative process, and offers paths towards shaping spaces for belonging through architecture and design.