O! Canada? : a pavilion for the 2010 World Exposition in Shanghai

Abstract

While ninety percent of new buildings in Canada are built with light wood framing, the conventions of this construction method are seldom challenged, the economic systems behind their materials scarcely exposed, and the accumulative impact on our cities, while often questioned, is seldom answered. Through the design of a pavilion for Canada at the Shanghai World Exposition in 2010 this thesis aims to draw these elements together to stand as a critique of the single family home that is their apotheosis. Also addressed are the ramification of large crowds on the display of objects, the potential for representing national identity without recourse to romanticism or nostalgia and economic and ecological responsibility in view of the ephemeral nature of expo pavilions.