Water is used as a raw material to create a reflecting surface. The container is simply a frame that suspends water above the ground: a homogenous black object, assembled in a direct way, minimizing the expression of assembly joints and the contact with the ground.

The garden is to be filled with water at the beginning of its life and to be left to evolve over time, becoming a climate register device. The garden will over time accumulate leaves, dust and pollen, be inhabited by birds and insects, leading to the cultivation and growth of new life within the garden.

It will be sensible to changing light conditions, fluctuations in temperature and humidity, rainfall and evaporation, allowing visitors to reflect on the passing of time and the experiential qualities of place.

Text provided by the architect.

Sqotek refers to “the place of fire” (hence the name Squatec in Témiscouata where archaeological sites have led to the discovery of several hearths used by the community’s ancestors).

This collaboration with the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation was an opportunity to lay the foundation for a broader reflection on the essence of the community’s values. This is how Robert Lavoie recently participated in the development of the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation’s architectural and landscape identity charter.

The construction of this gathering place allows the promotion of the wolastoqey identity on the territory of the Kiskotuk coastal park by developing an Aboriginal experience there. The contemporary architecture of the Sqotek shelter inspired by the wolastoqey values and traditions symbolizes the cultural uniqueness of the community and celebrates its existence in the tradition, the present and the future.

Text provided by the architect.