The Sustainable Development Corporation du developpement durable SDC-CDD is a Tiohtiake (greater Montreal region) Canadian Non-Profit since 1994 working in a participatory inter-disciplinary way with students, citizens, organizations, business, institutions & governments on ecological-economic design.
Project Description: In 2008, SDC-CDD completed a Feasibility Study reviewing engineering and architectural features, as well as resident health & community factors, for the conversion of the Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue 1944 Municipal Water Tower into an ecological building for affordable housing and research. This project was financed by the Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC) SEED program. The mayor of Ste-Anne has asked us to continue preparations for a next stage. We are presently refining the designs as well as arranging financing, developers & builders. Our goal in Ste-Anne & 3 other sites across Tiohtiake is to create inclusive Ecological Co-housing communities in tradition of the Longhouse (Place of the Extended Rafters).
Description of final product:
a. The building of a web site that will become a communication hub and resource for sustainable practices, encouraging users participation, collaboration and exchanges.
b. Development and refinement of optimal building shapes that recognize the confluence of natural cycles, resources and human activity (i.e. Relational Architecture).
c. Refining, defining, sharing and implementing the structural foundations of Relational Economy, Relational Architecture and other practices (i.e. Holistic Relational Development).
d. Creating and improving the templates for such community organs as a time bank and human resource catalogue to help residents in intentional and mainstream communities organize themselves.
e. Research, implementing edible environments and the use of plants in bio-remediation.
Length is to be determined by the student's vision and course requirements.
Education and skills required: A knowledge of architecture, finance are strong assets. As this work is interdisciplinary, however, students are welcome from every domain, skill-level, training and interest. SDC-CDD works with a Vision-quest approach whereby students are asked to consider their own inspirations or goals and how these might apply to each task. We are willing to widely ‘veer' from our original targets depending on student visions and suggestions.