From the woods up high, From the heart down deep : Spatializing the legends of Camp Minogami

The typology of summer camps remains inexplicably underexplored in landscape architecture. As unique educational sites and complex historical vehicles of multiple social ideologies, these liminal spaces for self-exploration and transcendence provide unique programmatic and conceptual opportunities, in part due to their rich narrative qualities. This project seeks to expand the professional reflection of landscape architects on the typology of summer camps by exploring their potential as sites of rites of passage, self-discovery, and interaction with the landscape. The chosen site of intervention is Camp Minogami, a summer camp situated in the richly historical and highly contested Nitaskinan (Mauricie) territory in the province of Quebec. The author, having spent several years at Camp Minogami as both a camper and a counselor, proposes hypothetical design interventions that aim to honor the Genius Loci (sometimes referred to as “Camp Spirit”) of the place and to spatialize the camp-specific tales and legends. These interventions are guided by several principles, including risky play, the reuse of site materials, and a non-prescriptive approach that emphasizes the independence, agency, and creative effort of the camp users. Drawing on hermeneutic and phenomenological concepts of place and embodiment, this project explores how the designed interventions can facilitate a deeper engagement with the camp’s historical and ecological context and create spaces for personal and communal transformation. The proposed design interventions at Camp Minogami aim to extend the discourse on the landscape architecture of summer camps and contribute to the field of design for transformative experiences.Applied Science, Faculty ofArchitecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School ofUnreviewedGraduat