Alexa Thiessen

Advisor: Lisa Landrum

Streak of the many tones of ruby
Streak of the many tones of ruby
Mural Table situated on Ruby Street
Mural Table situated on Ruby Street
North Elevation of Ruby building
North Elevation of Ruby building
Axo looking in on table tops
Axo looking in on table tops
Section showing how the tables identity changes throughout the building
Section showing how the tables identity changes throughout the building
A place to listen and participate in tough but inspiring conversations
A place to listen and participate in tough but inspiring conversations
Creating a relationship between the exterior and interior through the window and table.
Creating a relationship between the exterior and interior through the window and table.

Ruby: Skipping Through a Eutopic Winnipeg

Ruby,
A precious stone,
A colour,
A person,
A street,
The remanence of blood

A tone that has the power to grab the attention of humans,
Filling their spirit with,
Passion and love,
Fear and vulnerability

An unpredictable wave of emotions,
That can change at any moment,
The longer you look at the crimson Ruby,
The more you question how you really feel
How can one colour, one phenomenon, be so joyful and so terrifying?

Ruby St. is bounded by the Assiniboine River and Notre Dame Ave. While it is just outside the downtown district, it is close enough to glimpse the Winnipeg skyline at the end of every block. Ruby St is filled with houses that have as much character as the dwellers inside them. People use their front yards as gathering spaces and areas to express their opinions on world issues. A window is more than a piece of glass. It is a canvas for artwork. We listen to neighbours of thirty years laughing while hearing children’s footsteps skipping to school. If we folded Winnipeg in half, how many more Ruby Streets could there be? 

Inspired by Michael Sorkin’s pursuit of Eutopia – a good place – Ruby Skipping Through a Euotpic Winnipeg explores the idealist realities of everyday life in a city. Everybody imagines living a eutopic life, but only few get to experience it. Isn’t being an architect about creating a Eutopic environment for everyone? Creating the desirable. Acknowledging the good and the bad, the happy and the fearful, the dystopia and the eutopia. This thesis begins by creating micro-eutopia along Ruby Street that lead to the design of a new urban institution to inspire people to collectively dream and collaboratively pursue a eutopic life. Focused around the table and having the tough conversations to create a better Winnipeg. While the architecture is focused around the table and creating a safe environment to house discussions, the conversations do not end here.