ARCH514: 2019 Community Design Workshop

From August 10 to August 31, 2019, ten McGill architecture students participated in this design/build workshop coordinated by Robert Mellin (Associate Professor: Post-retirement) in the outport of Tilting, Fogo Island, Newfoundland. Students engaged in a collaborative design and construction project to build a large viewing platform and built-in seating at the top of Sandy Cove Hill next to the statue of the Virgin Mary. Construction was challenging as much painstaking work was required to fit wooden elements to the irregular stone terrain. Ballast lockers containing heavy stones were installed under all the platforms to prevent wind-uplift. The built-in seating, made with cedar that will weather to light grey, provides wind protection as the design permits the option to sit on either side of the central seating area. The top platforms of the seating function as bridges to permit easy access to the statue. On the east side there is a panoramic view of Tilting looking out to the ocean, and on the west side the view is of the cemetery and Sandy Cove. Students also built ramps and steps along the path from the road to the platform. The community sincerely appreciated the work of the students and the generosity of McGill University's Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture in sponsoring this course. An opening ceremony was held on August 29, 2019 with a performance by musician and photographer Paddy Barry.

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