This spring I had the privilege to work with architectural writer, Adele Weder to create the publication which documents the 3rd installment of the OAA Shift Challenge. The Ontario Association of Architects holds this aspirational ideas competition every two years to recognize the value of architecture in addressing societal issues. This year’s theme was “Health and Architecture” and as OAA President, Settimo Vilardi states “In different ways, each of the selected proposals demonstrate the potential of architecture to shape our environment and support our physical, mental, and social health.”

My firm was one of five winning entries and the OAA has recently posted the publication online. The article on my firm’s winning entry entitled “Finding Balance in the Landscape of Muskoka” distills some of the more important aspects of the Dorset Project.

Before working with Adele I was still resolving the terms I would use to describe the design of the four sculptural pieces that will be placed around the secluded lake on the property. In her text for this publication Adele writes, “Over the course of yearly visits to the property, Howard envisioned a series of sculptures to commemorate his mother, late Father, aunt and uncle, with a path linking these four sites round the shoreline of the lake”. Her use of the word “commemorate” distills the idea much better than my use of the line, “monuments to them” that I had written previously in my descriptions of these objects.

Writing for this blog, Instagram as well as speaking about the project in Midland and Sudbury over the last few years has also helped me hone those skills as the exact definition of the Dorset Project is still being resolved in my mind. Is it a park, a sculpture garden, a memorial site, a wilderness park with sculptures, or just a nature park? Will it be public or semi public or remain a private retreat and protected wilderness?

Defining this project is all part of the process of creating a design that has little in the way of precedence. When I look back at my architectural career I can see that this is not unusual for me. Throughout the last 39 years I have never been afraid of the unknown. Adele writes about how I am, “linking the role of architect, master planner, landscape designer, environmentalist and conceptual artist” in my design for this project.

Design for me is most exciting when it brings together many ideas from a multitude of sources. My role is to distill these distinct ideas into a new physical reality. The Dorset Project is one of those design exercises and now I understand that this journey is only just beginning. There may be some missteps as I proceed but I feel confident that each part of the process teaches me something new. Working with Adele this spring brought many insights to my process as she helped me see the project through a new lens. Being able to reveal this work to a larger audience is one of the more important aspects in the evolution of the Dorset Project. I hope you enjoy the read.