refab³

Architecture project. Toronto, 2021.

Using a bottom-up design/build strategy, this project reimagines the architect’s role as an educator who can empower communities through self-build. Conceived as a series of step-by-step instruction manuals and deployed in Toronto’s East-end Riverdale neighbourhood, this project introduces residents to the fundamental tenets of construction so they might build the change they would like to see in their community. Built from off-the-shelf construction materials, the refab³ is entirely demountable and can expand in all directions by attaching additional units. Designed around the dimensions of uncut 4-foot-by-8-foot plywood and polycarbonate sheets, I hope to limit waste from off-cuts and encourage the reuse of materials. As a shared resource, the refab3 would circulate on a needs-basis to accommodate residents and facilitate the various community-building events already occurring in Riverdale.