The Terroir of Maple Syrup: A Symbiotic Partnership Between Culture and Nature

Abstract

The thesis focuses on the design of a maple syrup farmstead in the Madawaska County of New-Brunswick, Canada. The design is approached holistically through the lens of terroir and ecological design and seeks to explore the capacity of architecture to create built environments that regenerate both the ecosystem and cultural heritages of the region.

In order to draw on the sugar shack traditions, the program is conceived a layered set of activities that support both the working farm and the visitors creating opportunities for agritourism. Although, to be economically sustainable year-round, and to reuse the wastes of the maple syrup production process, the farm also introduces a distillery, establishing a forgotten local culture, creating a year-round attraction for visitors while closing the loop of the production.