Today, the Nuxalk Nation is facing a housing and land crisis in an area that for thousands of years has been their traditional and boundless territory. In a small zone of what is now known as the Bella Coola Valley, the nation is trying to provide housing for a 300-name long waiting list, and much of it within reserve boundaries. In this context, the driving question of this project became “Where can you find space to build homes on reserve, and how might you build them?” In 4-mile, development in the 1970’s and 80’s created a pattern of low density and patchwork suburbanism. By analysing this pattern, ‘lot typologies’ can be identified and infill strategies for each specified. The placement of driveways, the orientation of new homes relative to existing ones, and different planting strategies can be chosen and adjusted according to the degree of privacy or collectivity needed. This customizability is key if the strategy is to be adopted by the Nuxalk and will allow it to be adapted to their changing needs and desires.
An Infill Strategy for the Nuxalk Nation
Holly Mills | ARCH 501 with John Bass