In view of contributing to reducing the impact of COVID-19 in our community, guided tours and other on-site events are on hiatus, but we remain accessible. Please read the full announcement.

Starting from stories of the 1973 oil crisis and examples of international architecture projects that use minimal energy, this program introduces concepts of ecological materials and design principles, and challenges students to propose new and environmentally-conscious ways of living. This program sensitizes students to their role as actors in society and invites them to collectively solve problems with their classmates, by exploring techniques of design, planning, and assembly.

The workshop takes place in three parts:

• A presentation of illustrations by the British artist Harriet Russell, which explains the origin and many uses of oil as a source of energy, encourages students to discuss ways of living differently, and asks them to propose alternatives to non-renewable energy sources.
• A drawing exercise in which small groups of students collectively design a house powered only by renewable energy and built of sustainable materials. Each group then presents and explains the details of their concept and construction to the rest of the group.
• The program ends with a construction workshop in which students are asked to work together as a class to create temporary, three-dimensional structures.

To Live Differently is a two hour-long workshop offered year-round in either French and English. We can accommodate up to 32 students per visit. To make a reservation or for more information, please contact us at public@cca.qc.ca or call +1 514 939 7002.