Living Scaffold: A Framework for Multispecies Architecture

Abstract

The Sandy Lake area of Bedford, Nova Scotia, serves as a vital wildlife corridor, and its health is essential to the region’s ecology. Increasing housing demands, urban sprawl, and its proximity to urban areas render it particularly vulnerable to development. Following a 300-acre clear-cut in 2013, residents began advocating for an expansion of the area’s protected boundaries.

This thesis explores how architecture can engage with local ecologies and wildlife as an alternative to conventional conservation methods that minimize human activity and development. Through the design of an ecological learning centre at Sandy Lake, architecture is positioned as a tool to support local biodiversity while encouraging humans to take a more active role in conservation. A living scaffold that benefits both humans and non-human entities contributes to the program’s educational agenda, setting the stage for a citizen science laboratory that fosters the connection between humans and nature.