Sustainable Building Design and Construction 2007

The Building

The goals of R.D. Lawrence Place are multi-faceted. Its directors hope that guests can have four visits in the one facility. Visitors can come into the building and learn about its sustainable building methods, the life of R.D. Lawrence, his books, and the natural history of the region and Canada.

In 2006, Sharon Lawrence, the widow of R.D. Lawrence, donated her late husband’s sizeable collection of books, manuscripts, mementos, photos, and maps to the Township of Minden Hills. The Minden Cultural Centre decided the collection deserved a dedicated building and applied to host the students of Fleming College's Sustainable Building Design and Construction course (2007) to build R.D. Lawrence Place.

Designed to embody Lawrence's love of nature, R.D. Lawrence Place will be built with sustainability in mind. It will feature local hemp straw bales, earthen plasters, and windfall lumber. Using renewable, local materials ensures a lower overall embodied energy of the building. Non-toxic finishes will be applied, including milk paints and soy-based stains, and solar panels will be installed to gather energy for electricity and water heating.

R.D. Lawrence Place will be a vibrant cultural centre for Minden. Situated next to the town's library, it will house the Lawrence's collection as well as a writers' centre and community centre. During construction, the Fleming students invite the public to come watch them build using sustainable methods. They will also host free guided tours each Thursday at 5:30pm, starting May 24th.

We all hope that R.D. Lawrence Place is a truly unique attraction for the town of Minden, celebrating the memory of R.D. Lawrence by displaying his work in a building that captures his love of nature by striving to protect it.