Water is our Friend

Water is our Friend: Amphibious Retrofit for Peguis FN

Working with community members in Peguis First Nation, this project proposes amphibious retrofit as a potential strategy to address severe, recurrent flooding. First Nations communities like Peguis FN are disproportionately exposed to flooding, and increasingly severe flooding is expected due to climate change and human manipulation of upstream water flow. Traditional solutions, like dams, flood walls, and levees, require large-scale construction, produce adverse environmental impacts by altering water flows, and cannot be easily modified if flood conditions worsen over time. On the other hand, amphibious architecture works with water, minimizing disruption, displacement, and disconnection from the land and water. This prototype home will serve as an example of how amphibious retrofit can promote autonomy, allowing Indigenous people to build climate resilience in place.

This project is ongoing, and funded by a New Frontiers in Research Fund Exploration grant.