Generating an Oasis: Architecture of Climatic Engagement for a Northern City

Abstract

Edmonton, Alberta, like many other northern cities, has a history of overprotecting its citizens from the climatic elements. Through constructs of climate-control, like pedways and shopping malls, we have severed ourselves from outdoor life and fallen out of love with a season whose inherent beauty and unique attributes have the potential to play a pivotal role in the identity of the city. This thesis studies ways of using architecture and urban design to engage the city dweller across all four seasons. Through the adaptive reuse of the Rossdale power plant and its adjacent lands, the project aims to provide the city of Edmonton with a destination of climatic comfort that begins to thread the disconnect between its citizens and their northern surroundings.