Rural restorative agritecture: the case of Grassridge Farmstead in Brant County

Abstract

This thesis investigates the relationship between architecture and agriculture, considering that the two disciplines have frequently been unrelated. The emerging field called Rural Design (Thorbeck 2012, Stringer 2018) shows the potential of the teachings of Restorative Agritecture for reimagining the relation between agriculture and architecture. More particularly this thesis explores restorative principles, and strategies of placemaking, to revive abandoned farmsteads and create a sense of community, considering the case of Grassridge Farmstead, situated in Brant County, Ontario. Combining an investigation on the process of rural design with reflection on a collection of personal experiences, and a careful material culture analysis of the existing site and its artifacts, three strategies were developed – repair, reinvention, restorative – to design a cooperative community farmstead.