MSoA — ARCH673 — W23
Rising Roots
A celebration of Little Burgundy’s Black heritage
by Sally Abd-Ali
Rising Roots celebrates the black heritage intrinsic to Little Burgundy by providing spaces for culinary practices, food sharing rituals and other ceremonial gatherings. The building rises in response to the community’s status of a ‘food desert’ since 2020 demonstrating resilience facing food insecurity which denounces racial and economic segregation.
The Whispering Table
The building offers a safe, accessible, and inclusive environment which establishes social connections between farmers, cooks and consumers through its primary functions of a commissary rectangular open kitchen, a communal circular kitchen, a triangular banquet hall and a community pantry. All of which encourages the cultural celebration of the different ethnic groups rooted in the neighbourhood.
Breathing Roots
Social interactions of different natures and of different scales are further supported by the geometry of spaces. The community’s rich history and ritual practices are invited to leave their traces inside the building’s walls.
Roof Plan, Ground Floor Plan
‘ This is no dying, vanishing culture. We’re still here. We’re still thriving. We’re still pushing. ’
Chef BJ Dennis
A (Re)Collection of Dining Stories