Industry Reconstructed
2023
Ella Dufresne
Talia Neufeld
Located at the confluence of the Brunette and Fraser Rivers, “Cumberland Point” is a post-industrial site shaped by its past as the Brunette Sawmill and surrounded by ongoing industrial activity. This project responds by redefining industry through a non-human lens, focusing on wild pollinators, especially bees, as essential yet overlooked contributors to ecological and agricultural systems. With over 800 wild bee species in Canada and many in decline due to habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change, the project recognizes pollination as a vital but invisible industry. The design introduces a pollinator-focused landscape with meadows and soft wetland edges to restore habitat and ecological productivity. Acknowledging the site's industrial legacy, the project challenges human-centric definitions of labor and value. By integrating pollinator support with community use, it fosters a shared space that promotes awareness, stewardship, and ecological resilience, offering a model for pollinator-oriented design across Greater Vancouver.