Scope for the Imagination: Cultivating Craft in the Abandoned Farmscapes of Prince Edward Island

Abstract

In the year 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery published the widely known novel, Anne of Green Gables. Taking place on Prince Edward Island, a major theme throughout the story is the act of establishing a meaningful connection to place. As the chosen setting for many fictional stories, islands continue to fascinate and inspire individuals to utilize their imaginative and artistic instincts by providing spaces for reflection and expression of place consciousness. This thesis intends to investigate and implement a method of design based in translation from Montgomery’s written descriptions of space by introducing built interpretations performed through material strategies attributed to island artisans. An artist retreat and community workshop is proposed so as to encourage communal and personal development of the crafting arts. An adaptive re-use approach is executed to allow for a template of an existing rural island farm to act as a site authentically rooted in its place.