Live Rural / Work Rural : Design for Resiliency in Hermitage, NL

Rural communities in Newfoundland and Labrador are discovering new economic life through aquaculture. This burgeoning economy provides potential for growth and diversity; however, this potential is inhibited by a shortage of housing, an aging population and a lack of infrastructure for business development. This makes it unlikely that new families will move into these areas creating problems for social and economic resiliency. What we can foresee is, though these towns are thriving now, without an influx of new, younger residents, the current economic spike is likely to be short-lived. Using the community of Hermitage as a testing site, this thesis proposes an architecturally based solution to the problem of resiliency in rural Newfoundland and Labrador communities. A live/work area within the community can act as a stimulus for new growth, providing much needed housing, on-site space for micro-local economic development, and shared community space for new and existing residents.Applied Science, Faculty ofArchitecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School ofUnreviewedGraduat