Vanier’S Changing Identity Through New Urban Infrastructure
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Recording Vanier’s Changing Identity Through New Urban Infrastructure by Hugo Béland-Latreille A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in SDUWLDOIXOÀOOPHQWRIWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVIRUWKHGHJUHHRI Master of Architecure Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2015 Hugo Béland-Latreille Abstract This thesis explores questions of RI 9DQLHU 7KH VLWH LWVHOI GHVLJQDWHG E\ identity and the character of a place. the City of Ottawa as a “gateway” to the It will also deal with how this place QHLJKERXUKRRGGHDOVZLWKYDULRXVGHVLJQ maintains its individuality, or its genius challenges such as a connection to the ORFL GHÀQHG DV D VSHFLDO LUUHSODFHDEOH rest of the city, to the Rideau River, and quality that joins it to its greater context. a mediation of scale differences in the The intention is to create a vessel for the VXUURXQGLQJ XUEDQ IDEULF ,W DOVR GHDOV preservation of the existing identity of with sociopolitical challenges such as a place for its existing residents, while XUEDQLQWHQVLÀFDWLRQJHQWULÀFDWLRQDQG evolving to accommodate new residents. cultural identity. The design proposal 8UEDQVWUDWHJLHVDUHGLDJUDPPDWLFDOO\ DLPV WR VHW VWDQGDUGV IRU ZKDW ZLOO EH developed across greater Vanier, a DUJXHG DV ´UHVSRQVLEOH DUFKLWHFWXUHµ working-class, traditionally Francophone 7KHVHVWDQGDUGVDLPWRHVWDEOLVKSRVLWLYH QHLJKERXUKRRG WKH VSHFLÀF VLWH WR examples in the development of the EH GHYHORSHG DUFKLWHFWXUDOO\ IRU WKLV UDSLGO\ HYROYLQJ QHLJKERXUKRRG RI project is situated on the western edge Vanier. acknowledgements First of all, I want to thank my parents WKURXJKRXW WKH \HDUV EHFDPH D IULHQG who’ve always supported my education DQGPHQWRU<RXWUXO\EULQJRXWWKHEHVW DQG SXVKHG PH WR EHFRPH WKH FXULRXV in people, so thank you. SHUVRQ,DPWRGD\1RQHRIWKLVZRXOGEH SRVVLEOHZLWKRXWWKHVHWZRLQVSLUDWLRQDO ÀJXUHVLQP\OLIH I want to thank Izza, my girlfriend, for EHLQJ P\ PXVH )RU DOZD\V EHLQJ WKHUH for me in thick and thin, you were always KDSS\ WR KHOS DQG FRQWLQXH WR EH D ELJ part of my success. For that, and much more, I love you, and thank you. :) Finally, I want to thank my advisor, Paul Kariouk, for pushing me to strive for great work. Paul is such a dedicated and passionate professor and architect , who, Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................... Pg.3 Statement ................................................................................................................................ Pg.6 Introdution ......................................................................................................................................... Pg.7 Chapter 1: Vanier 1.1 The Past ............................................................................................................................. Pg.10 1.2 Francophone Militancy in Vanier ................................................................................ Pg.17 )URP:RUNLQJ&ODVVWR*HQWULÀHG ................................................................................ Pg.25 Chapter 2: Housing 2.1 The Big Problem ............................................................................................................... Pg.27 0RGHUQ+RXVLQJ,QLWLDWLYHVLQ2WWDZD ........................................................................ Pg.34 %HDYHU%DUUDFNV&DVH6WXG\ .......................................................................................... Pg.39 Chapter 3: The Public Realm 7KHLPSRUWDQFHRISXEOLFVSDFH .................................................................................... Pg.50 3.2 Shareable Cities ............................................................................................................... Pg.57 3ODFHG·<RXYLOOH&DVH6WXG\ .......................................................................................... Pg.63 Chapter 4: The Proposal ,QWUR .................................................................................................................................... Pg.68 4.2 Site Analysis ...................................................................................................................... Pg.72 $Q8UEDQ6ROXWLRQ ........................................................................................................... Pg.76 7KH1RGHV .......................................................................................................................... Pg.81 ,QWR7KH6LWH ...................................................................................................................... Pg.84 7KH0DLQ1RGH5HFODLPLQJ&XPPLQJV,VODQG ......................................................... Pg.102 5HWKLQNLQJ+RXVLQJ ........................................................................................................ Pg.119 Conclusion........................................................................................................................................... Pg.131 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................... Pg.133 statement This thesis examines how an always- FKDUDFWHU DQG DIIRUGDELOLW\ FDQ EH HYROYLQJ XUEDQ SXEOLF UHDOP FDQ maintained together. continue to honour its past history and peoples while simultaneously creating D PRUH YLWDO DQG YLEUDQW HQYLURQPHQW :KHUHDV LQFUHDVLQJ WKH YLEUDQF\ RI D QHLJKERUKRRG LV JHQHUDOO\ FRXSOHG WR the erasure of authentic history via JHQWULÀFDWLRQ PXVW WKDW DOZD\V EH WKH FDVH"7KLVWKHVLVSRVLWVWKDWE\GHFDQWLQJ key programmatic requirements of FRQYHQWLRQDO KRXVLQJ WR QHZ XUEDQ LQIUDVWUXFWXUHDQHLJKERUKRRG·VH[LVWLQJ 6 introduction 7KH &LW\ RI 2WWDZD KDV ORQJ EHHQ to the displacement of existing residents trying to revitalize working class who can no longer afford the higher costs QHLJKERXUKRRGV LQVLGH WKH FLW\·V of living. JUHHQ EHOW WXUQLQJ WKHVH EOXHFROODU 7KH *OHEH DUHD ZKLFK LV QRZ NQRZQ QHLJKERXUKRRGVLQWRSRVKDUHDVIRUWKH DV DQ XSVFDOH PDWXUH QHLJKERXUKRRG city’s white-collar elite. This process is ZDV WKH ÀUVW LQ 2WWDZD WR XQGHUJR WKLV WLHG FORVHO\ WR JHQWULÀFDWLRQ ZKHUHE\ change in the 1970s when it transformed ODUJHUPDLQVWUHHWVVWDUWEHLQJSRSXODWHG from a low-income working class E\QHZFRQGRPLQLXPVFDXVLQJSURSHUW\ QHLJKERXUKRRG WR WKH WUHQG\ PRGHUQ YDOXHV WR VRDU EDVHG RQ WKH VSHFXODWLYH DQG UHODWLYHO\ H[SHQVLYH QHLJKERUKRRG SUDFWLFHV E\ UHDO HVWDWH DJHQWV DQG ZH NQRZ WRGD\ 0RUH QHLJKERUKRRGV developers. These new and typically IROORZHG VXLW DV :HVWERUR DQG PRUH H[SHQVLYHEXLOGLQJW\SRORJLHVRIWHQOHDG UHFHQWO\ WR +LQWRQEXUJ EHJDQ WKHLU 7 own transformations. From 2007 to years has made it a home for many new 2013, average housing values soared in immigrants as well. These factors and +LQWRQEXUJ E\ VHYHQW\WKUHH SHUFHQW Vanier’s proximity to downtown have compared to the city’s thirty one percent PDGH WKLV QHLJKERXUKRRG DWWUDFWLYH average increase1. to developers, making it next in line Vanier, once the small independent IRU DQ ´XUEDQ PDNHRYHUµ :H WKXV YLOODJHRI(DVWYLHZKDVEHFRPHDGHQVH REVHUYH WKH HDUO\ VWDJHV RI WKLV SURFHVV social mosaic. It was once a haven for NQRZQ DV JHQWULÀFDWLRQ 7KLV WKHVLV )UHQFK&DQDGLDQV EXW DQ DEXQGDQFH DLPV WR H[SORUH D VSHFLÀF VLWH DGMDFHQW of social housing, cheap land costs and to the Cummings Bridge and Montreal lower costing rental units over the 5RDG ZKLFK KDV EHHQ GHVLJQDWHG DV D ´JDWHZD\ VLWHµ E\ WKH &LW\ RI 2WWDZD ´5HVDOH%X\HUV%UDYHWKH)HEUXDU\)UHH]Hµ2W- acting as the western entry portal into tawa Real Estate Board. March 4, 2015. Accessed March 10, 2015. 8 Vanier. The goal of this design thesis is the future. develop a site that will showcase how a QHLJKERXUKRRG FDQ GHYHORS SRVLWLYHO\ without displacing the core people who form its identity. This design thesis aims to have new housing serve as a landmark that is now clearly missing in the area and that will positively impact the lives of existing residents rather than merely accommodate a future population. It is important to propose a site strategy that commemorates the identity of Vanier while helping it evolve progressively into 9 chapter 1 : Vanier 1.1 the past 7KH QHLJKERXUKRRG RI 9DQLHU VSDQV KDELWDQWV LQ ZKLFK PDGH LW RQH WZRNLORPHWHUVEHWZHHQWKH5LGHDX5LYHU RI WKH GHQVHVW FLWLHV LQ &DQDGD EHIRUH and St-Laurent Boulevard. Beechwood LWV XQLÀFDWLRQ ZLWK 2WWDZD $W WKDW $YHQXH PDUNV LWV QRUWKHUQ ERXQGDU\ time approximately two thirds of those while McArthur Avenue separates it from 20,000 residents were Francophone, 2YHUEURRNWRWKHVRXWK HVWDEOLVKLQJ 9DQLHU DV D PDMRU )UHQFK This 2.8 km2 community has quirks &DQDGLDQ VWURQJKROG RXWVLGH RI 4XHEHF LQ LWV KLVWRU\ WKDW PDNH LW DEVROXWHO\ %HFDXVHRIWKHUHFHQWJHQWULÀFDWLRQRQO\ unique. It was formerly the only RI9DQLHU·VSRSXODWLRQVHOILGHQWLÀHV Canadian city completely situated within as French-speaking, which is an all-time WKH ERXQGDULHV RI DQRWKHU FLW\ XQWLO ORZ LQ WKH QHLJKERUKRRG·V KLVWRU\ \HW it amalgamated with Ottawa in 2001. VWLOOUHSUHVHQWVDQXPEHUIDUJUHDWHUWKDQ ,WV SRSXODWLRQ UHDFKHG DERXW 10 FIGURE 1: First Official Language Spoken Ottawa’s average of 16%1. The present Vanier rests on what was previously the Township of Gloucester, named after the second Duke of *ORXFHVWHUDQG(GLQEXUJKDQGÀUVWNQRZQ DV7RZQVKLS%ZKHQLWZDVÀUVWVXUYH\HG LQ,WZDVQ·WXQWLOWKDWWKHÀUVW Source: NHS 2011 UXGLPHQWDU\ ZRRGHQ EULGJH QDPHG &XPPLQJV %ULGJH ZDV EXLOW FRQQHFWLQJ Rideau Street to Montreal road via an island in the Rideau River now known 1 “National Household Survey (NHS).” Govern- ment of Canada, Statistics Canada. May 8, 2013.