‘Fragments of a Home: Memes and Memories’ is our proposal for The Bentway’s Waterfront ReConnect Design Competition located at Simcoe St. and Lakeshore Blvd. under the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto. The proposal is a temporary installation in collaboration with SHEEEP and Tiffany Shaw, that explores how the threshold of domestic life can bring associations of joy and comfort to the Simcoe St. connection. From a dearth of public washrooms to inadequate public seating, so much of what provides comfort in our homes is missing at the urban scale.

Our exploration begins with the taxonomy of common household objects which we then abstract into architectural follies and memes. These follies are intended to create joyful connections and intrigue while encouraging an understanding of ‘home’ that extends beyond the individual to include the collective. Our hope is that these follies will help us all imagine new possibilities when it comes time to rethink a permanent redesign below the Gardiner.