North Bay architects inspire local students to build for climate change
The North Bay Society of Architects has turned “The Three Little Pigs” into a real-world lesson on climate resilience
How do we build homes to withstand the impacts of climate change? That’s the question, and 600 local students are busy answering.
These students are taking part in a unique opportunity offered by the North Bay Society of Architects (NBSA), with support from the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), the Experiential Learning Program, and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program.
Jean Philippe Larocque, the Chair of the NBSA, said, “The North Bay Society of Architects thought this would be a great way to introduce students to the concept of climate change and what the challenges are. Because we’re in northern Ontario, the ones that we are faced with are wind, fire, and floods.”
Water, wind, and fire helped to inspire the theme for this year’s third edition of the NBSA Climate Change Challenge: The Three Little Pigs vs. The Three Big Climate Change Impacts. The NBSA noted the theme was also inspired by the 1886 classic story by James Halliwell-Phillipps.
“This innovative hands-on program transforms a timeless fairy tale into a real-world exploration of climate resilience, sustainability, and architectural design thinking,” NBSA said in a release.
Working in teams of three, students are building home models using biodegradable materials provided by the NBSA. First, each must craft cork pig models to establish project scale, then design and build a resilient shelter to protect their little pigs from the perilous storms. Each team chooses either wind, water, or fire, and designs a structure to withstand or mitigate those threats.
Larocque said, “Participants are encouraged to think like architects by analyzing context, assessing risk, defining scale, testing ideas, and refining practical solutions.”
Organizers added in a release, “The challenge introduces students to the relationship between form and function while exploring how natural systems influence architectural design. Students are encouraged to explore biomimicry, studying how nature’s survival, adaptation, and efficiency strategies can inspire resilient building solutions.”
See: Local students use architecture to tackle climate change
Students are busy building throughout the region, with builds taking place on April 14 and April 15. Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord, Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l’Ontario, Near North District School Board, and the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board are all participating in this year’s challenge.
And building is just the tip of the iceberg, as students must also draft plans of their home, and provide a written design narrative to complement their finished models. Members of the NBSA will then judge the pieces from photos submitted by teachers.
The NBSA expects results to be announced in about a month. The winning teams will receive a pizza lunch for their entire class, courtesy of the NBSA.
“This project is tapping into the students’ ability to create, research, write a concept, develop sketches, and then build a shelter for their three little pigs that will hopefully, through its shape and form and its construction methods, sustain the forces of wind, fire, and water,” Larocque said.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.