Title of the research: Conservation ou reconversion : quand le projet architectural redéfinit la connaissance du patrimoine industriel dans les grandes villes canadiennes
under the supervision of Dr. Jean-Pierre Chupin
Abstract: Canada’s metropolitan regions are grappling with the phenomenon of post-industrial relics, characterized by their obsolescence. And yet, projects to repurpose these relics are the focus of architectural practices, and such projects are on the rise in the country’s major cities. In this context of physical transformation, how does an architectural project in an industrial heritage setting redefine our understanding of places undergoing change? Given a certain consensus in the literature—which posits the remnants of industrial culture as raw material for urban transformation and recognizes the contribution of repurposing this heritage in addressing current environmental and social challenges—the role of architectural design processes in these revitalization efforts remains poorly defined in major Canadian cities. The hypothesis of this research is that redevelopment project processes contribute to our understanding of industrial remnants as architectural strata that have the potential to make the material and immaterial dimensions of these remnants intelligible.