A Search for Memory: The Spirit of the Canadian Rural West Homestead

Abstract

A Search for Memory: The Spirit of the Canadian Rural West Homestead questions the tension between memory and historical preservation within the discourse of architecture. This thesis looks at how the memory of the early 1900s Canadian rural west homestead can be framed using architecture. Discussing historical monument and counter-monument theory, this project is a reaction to an open air historical museum, Ukrainian Village, located outside of Edmonton, Alberta. The design references projects by the architects, Bruno Fioretti Marquez, artist, Rachel Whiteread and a religious Japanese shrine, and emphasizes the possibility of architecture going beyond historical preservation. The proposal is a counter-monument that uses a method of casting to highlight the evolving memory of the 20th century homestead in western Canada.