Community architecture

New Day School is a migrant learning centre serving Burmese migrant and refugee communities in the Thai border town of Mae Sot. Since the last military coup on 1st of February 2021 the numbers of Burmese refugees and migrants crossing into Thailand have dramatically increased. Help without Frontiers Thailand is a community based organisation, that is supporting learning centres by providing essential funding for teacher salaries, lunches and school uniforms. Due to the limited funding, the support for new classroom buildings, sanitation facilities and overall infrastructure are often lacking. Alessandra Esposito Alessandra Esposito Alessandra Esposito Oliver Giebels The New Day School Classroom project marked the first... More

From monastery to community neighborhood The former Franciscan convent at the eastern edge of Montreal’s Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie borough is a compelling example of how a site once devoted to spiritual retreat and self-sufficiency can become disconnected from its urban surroundings. Its transformation into a vibrant, inclusive community offers a rare opportunity to reconnect its layered past with contemporary needs, bringing together memory, biodiversity, and collective life within a renewed urban fabric.   NÓS Architects   Echo of the past Le Couvent de la Résurrection is a convent complex inspired by neo-Gothic monastic architecture. Originally, the built ensemble included the convent, the ch... More

Hway Ka Loke School, located in Mae Sot, Thailand, recently completed new classrooms for Burmese migrants and refugees on the Thai border. These classrooms were built using natural building techniques and locally sourced materials, including earthen bricks, as part of a project focusing on sustainable and culturally relevant design. Jonathan Wiedemann Jonathan Wiedemann Jonathan Wiedemann The project also included workshops to involve the community in the construction process, promoting both skills development and awareness of the complex political situation faced by Burmese migrants fleeing civil war. This initiative, supported by the Stiftung Deutscher Architekten and in collaboration with the school community, stands as a... More

ContextThe pavilion is located on the southern shore of Lake Llanquihue, on former grazing land with open views toward the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes. The site retains traces of rural use—clearings, pathways, fences—intertwined with regenerating vegetation. This overlap of natural landscape and productive memory forms the project’s foundation. Surca BriefThe commission called for a communal structure incorporating children's play areas, a barbecue zone, and rest spaces, with a restrained architectural language and low environmental impact. Surca Design StrategyThe proposal operates across three complementary scales: At the territorial scale, two red beams frame the volcanoes and define the primary axis. S... More

 Forest Nexus seeks to extend the role of the traditional school typology  into a vibrant community hub that bring people of all demographics together. Designed to foster connection across all ages, this innovative project creates shared spaces where education, social interaction, and cultural exchange seamlessly blend. Caption Forest Nexus addresses the pressing question: How can we foster community interaction in a digital age that often leaves people disconnected? The architectural design is inspired by the belief that diverse programming and multifunctional spaces can help bring different groups together. By creating an environment where activities and spaces overlap, the school will act as a socio-cultural engine, allow... More

Having undergone a complete transformation in 2019, Jean-Drapeau Park was reimagined by architects Lemay landscape work and Éclairage Public’s strategic and beautiful use of Fluxwerx and Lumenpulse luminaires, bringing one of the city’s premier parks into the 21st century. Stéphane Brügger, David Boyer With the goal to minimize the visual impact of the lighting fixtures in the space, the Fluxwerx View suspended luminaires were selected due to their innovative LED design with no direct or indirect view of the light source when on. To help address multiple layers of public safety concerns, environmental protection, ease of operation, and aesthetic attraction, Éclairage Public design team specified t... More

This project won the 2021 Architectural Foundation of BC Award of Excellence; the 2021 Canada Green Building Award; and the 2022 “Against the Grain Award” Wood Design and Building Award. Ema Peter Ema Peter This community centre for young people and their families provides spaces for drop-in and scheduled programs and community gatherings. Caption Ema Peter As the first purpose-built building for Tsawwassen First Nation under their 2009 treaty. Ema Peter Caption Architectural form and detail communicate environmental education rooted in Indigenous knowledge. Caption Caption Caption More