Two-Eyed Seeing and Architecture: Restoring Reciprocal Relationships through Design

Abstract

As a Western society we have lost our sense of the rhythms of the natural world and how we fit into these regenerative cycles, which has contributed to the increasing destruction of our planet. This thesis advocates for using Two-Eyed Seeing as a guiding principle, a term coined by Elder Dr. Albert Marshall, to consider design problems from multiple perspectives to move towards reconciliation between people and the landscape. This thesis explores the migration route of the endangered Atlantic salmon along the Stewiacke and Shubenacadie Rivers in Nova Scotia. Three lenses are used, that of the fish, Mi’kmaw and Western worldviews, to develop an architectural language that symbolizes and facilitates reciprocal relationships between them. Four pedestrian bridges named “Nest,” “Shift,” “Cover” and “Bridge” mark places of significance for the salmon and bring together the strengths of the worldviews, both conceptually and physically.