Re-Rooting: Architecture to Restore Human-Nature Connections

Abstract

Forests at the edges of many communities have historically been shaped by extractive relationships between human settlement and natural systems. In Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, E.D. Davison lumber company drove forest interactions. The legacy of the company reveals the need for new relationships between people and forested environments. This thesis argues that architecture can play an active role in restoring these relationships by mediating between forest ecologies, material practices, and public engagement. Drawing on historical research, forest ecology, and case studies of demonstration forests, the project proposes a network of architectural interventions within the regenerating woodland where the mill once stood. Programs including rest areas, a community workshop, seasoning shelters, and a sawmill introduce visitors to the life-cycle of wood construction. Using locally harvested wood and low-waste construction methods, the project positions architecture as a tool for ecological education, material awareness, and the long-term stewardship of forest landscapes.