Mobile Design and Construction Lab

Mobile Design and Construction Lab

In January 2022, the OHMN team purchased an 18’ construction trailer and invited these students to envision and build a Mobile Indigenous Design and Build Workshop to serve as an essential resource for supporting the design and construction of homes in and with First Nations communities. This hands-on design/build project allowed students to expand their design education to include conceptual and material realities that are born out of both Indigenous and Western world views. The trailer design became a site to envision new stories to be told within these communities through supporting activities of essential need, collectivism, and hope. The trailer now completed is poised to be a critical resource that provides the equipment, shelter, resources, safety, and infrastructure necessary to carry out a full construction project, guide teachings, connect people, land protection, feast, and dream.

The design of the trailer includes: tool storage, a design space, safety equipment, a wood stove, indoor seating, a kitchen, meat butchering table, wood storage, interior gathering space, solar panels, generators, outlets and lighting, magnetic and chalk board walls, outhouse with portable compostable toilet, waterproof canopies, a bug screened room, a feasting table, outdoor bench and feasting space.

Contributors

One House Many Nations 

Making the Shift

Mino Bimaadiziwin Partnership

Idle No More

University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture Endowment Fund

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Big River First Nation

University of Saskatchewan

ED4 Architecture Design Studio

Instructor:

Lancelot Coar

Students:

Jelene Pugoy

Kitty Hong

Aliyah Baerg

Ariana Streu

Michael Wu

Shane patience

Nicholas Lupky

Tara Fuller

Sponsors

Making The Shift to End Youth Homelessness Grant

Flame & Comfort

Metal Supermarket

SCT Welding, Laser and Manufacturing

Dufort Industries

Start Lumber

Excel Industrial

Community Futures

The Green Resilience

Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba

Special Thanks

Big River First Nation

Brokenhead Ojibway Nation

Shawn Bailey

Kelvin Stead

Reanna Merasty

Danielle Dejarlais

Jason Surkan

Kellen Deighton

Shaun De Rooy

Jason Hare

Project Location

Department of Architecture at the University of Manitoba

Year

2021 – 2022