April 29, 2007, 9:10 pm

I've spent the last couple of days reworking some stuff on this site, and trying to actually build up our portfolio, which is slow going, but progressing. The weather has been beautiful and inspiring and there's moments where I think about nothing else other than the smells of spring. Went for a walk today with my mom to where some geese were nesting, beside a pond in our field that is clear and wondrous. Once I came back inside though, I think I felt a bit at odds with what to do. There's this transition period between school and summer, where I think everyone can feel this way. No longer burdened with final exams, I quickly worry about what is wasting time and what is just enjoying a moment of relaxation.

Outside of creating stuff, I want to try to make an effort to do some things that are good for my immediate environment and my community. I will buy only locally brewed (and award winning) Walkerville Brewery beer. Hopefully, we'll make it down to the market to do the majority of our shopping next year. I don't plan to have a car, so we'll opt for the bus, or maybe bicycles and trains for treks to Toronto. Also, I will continue to buy fair trade products whenever possible. Things like this are inspiring, I think.

The walk today got me thinking a lot about trees and where and how to plant them. I've done some limited research of green walls for the Green Corridor, and then I look around at the old barns we have, and the many trees that grow straight up alongside its brothers and sisters and the vines growing on the fences and there's so much potential to create a greener space. There's a barn, it feels like it should have collapsed years ago, but when I can, I want to plant trees around it, encompassing it, overgrowing it with greenery and allowing it to become a naturalized space. There's no insulation, only wood and nails and hopefully it will become a safe naturalized place for some animals to inhabit, or something like that. There's already birds nesting in there annually, I would only think that more trees to cover it and give it a new identity.

Utilizing existing structures, or reusing or re-fabricating spaces should be an integral part of any city plan. Looking around Windsor at the Armories, the Capitol Theatre, the hospitals, the schools - there are so many possibilities for renewing spaces and avoiding the cost of building new and destruction of important historical spaces. Moving towards a model of development where building new is a last resort can results in techniques that can be extrapolated into other countries, perhaps third-world countries could benefit most. A new dialogue between space and inhabitant needs to take place, and should be a starting point for thought and development. Certainly, there will be many cases where it's necessary, and beneficial, to construct new buildings that will hopefully harness renewable energy sources and the community's climate and environmental situation. However, I can only hope that I never have to build a new home for myself.

I think this summer will produce some exciting work. Though the temperature will never match the delightfulness of early May, I'm looking forward to this summer more than ever.

By Justin | 0 COMMENTS | POSTED IN: text

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