Shawn Bailey

  • AR_Bailey Profile image 6

  • Associate Professor
    Indigenous Scholar 
    Architect

    Associate Professor
    Department of Architecture
    318 Architecture 2 Building
    56 Curry Place
    University of Manitoba
    (Fort Garry Campus)
    Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2M6
    T. 204-474-7234 
    F. 204-474-7532
    Shawn.Bailey@umanitoba.ca

  • Aerial view of a group of people gathered in a wooden structure with a white tarp roof in a dense forest. The scene feels adventurous and rustic.
  • A group of people sit around a glowing campfire at night, casting warm light on their faces. The surrounding area is dark, creating a cozy, intimate atmosphere.
  • Intricately tied wooden beams intersect with ropes in a monochrome setting, creating a rustic, geometric structure. The mood is complex and textured.
  • Abstract image featuring a surreal, textured landscape with zebra patterns and abstract forms against a gold background, evoking a sense of chaos and movement.
  • Abstract sculpture with organic shapes and textures. Rolled paper spirals blend with mesh and wooden elements on a light background, creating a dynamic and intricate design.
  • Dark cover with "OBL/QUE" and "Critical Conservation" text below a grayscale image of tangled branches. The tone is mysterious and contemplative.
  • Wooden cabin with large glass windows, elevated on a rocky hillside in a forest. The structure is surrounded by autumn foliage and conveys tranquility.
  • Outdoor gathering by a wooden cabin with large windows, surrounded by trees. People sit on the ground, creating a peaceful and communal atmosphere.

Education

  • PhD Student, University of Calgary, ongoing
  • M.Arch, University of Manitoba, 2014.
  • B.Env.D, University of Manitoba, 2006.

Professional qualifications and affiliations

  • MAA (Manitoba Association of Architects)
  • OAA (Ontario Association of Architects)

Bio

Shawn Bailey is a Métis artist, designer, and researcher whose work explores how Indigenous knowledge can shape contemporary design and pedagogy. He lives and works on an island in Lake of the Woods in Northwestern Ontario, where place, material, and story influence his teaching, research, and creative work.

Bailey is a recipient of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ASCA) New Faculty Teaching Award and the Canadian Centre for Architecture Indigenous Design Fellowship. His approach to teaching and collaboration with community partners has also been recognized by the University of Manitoba’s Indigenous community, reflecting his commitment to integrating Indigenous perspectives into education and design.

As the founder of Grounded Architecture, Bailey is currently shifting the studio’s narrative toward an approach centred on experimental making, material research, and context-driven design. Grounded works across scales to engage builders, clients, designers, and educators in exploring how technology and holistic approaches to construction can inspire new ways of building.

Bailey’s work moves fluidly across three interrelated modes:

Inquiry – Investigating how place-based and ecological knowledge can inform material innovation, spatial practice, and broader change in the building industry.

Engagement – Leading studios, workshops, and collaborations with institutions and communities to expand design literacy, build skills, and open access to sustainable construction methods.

Creation – Translating ideas into built form and creative works that combine experimental processes with sustainable, culturally grounded approaches to architecture.

Through his work as an educator, researcher, and practitioner, Bailey aims to expand how architecture is understood, taught, and practiced, honouring Indigenous knowledge while fostering design futures that are both innovative and deeply connected to place.

Selected Publications

Arts Creation: A Curriculum of Relationally, Resurgence, and Renewal:  Decolonizing Design with Indigenous and Land-Based Paradigms.  Author: Honoure Black, Lancelot Coar, Shawn Bailey.

Canadian Architect: Decolonizing the Design Process with Five Indigenous Land-based
Paradigms.  

Public Journal: (RE)Entering Many Worlds: Teaching and Collaborating to Design the Pluriverse. Author: Robyn Adams, Aliyah Baerg, Shawn Bailey, Honoure Black, Lancelot Coar, Danton Derksen

OBL/QUE Critical Conversation:  AKI / Land.  Edited by  Natalia Escobar Castrillón & Jake Chakasm. Author: Shawn Bailey and Valdie Seymour.

Faculty and staff      Department of Architecture faculty