Simply put, architecture combines form and function. At its best however, the study and execution of architecture is able to capture emotion and incorporate culture into the design of buildings and spaces. It is for this reason the Visionary (Re)Generation International Urban Design Competition started to develop a new plan for its Fort Garry Campus and adjacent neighbourhood. The competition required that the “visibility of the region’s cultural diversity and Indigenous cultures must be in explored in the design of the built environment.”

Following the same premise, the Faculty of Architecture is holding a two day symposium today and tomorrow called, Coming to a Common Place: Indigenous Peoples and Urban Design. It features architects from Seattle, Albuquerque, and Auckland as well as local experts, speaking on subjects such as development of Māori cultural landscapes, historic Indigenous practices that influence development, cultural responsibilities in architecture, Indigenous design that reflects climate and culture, and more.

The symposium will discuss how Indigenous values and cultural narratives inform approaches to urban design? Can such interventions in the urban environment enable Indigenous peoples to reconnect with their cultural landscapes and help overcome the divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in cities around the world? This symposium will address how Indigenous cultures can be reflected in designed urban environments. It will ask questions about how different cultures can coexist in neighbourhoods and cities, and how diverse values and identities can shape new environments. Can Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures come to a common place?

WHAT: Coming to a Common Place: Indigenous Peoples and Urban Design
WHEN: Today and tomorrow
WHERE: Faculty of Architecture, 225 Architecture 2

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit umanitoba.ca/architecture