On Relational Design and Inter-nation-al Diplomacy

From 2022-2025 a series of design studios at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture explored the role that reconciliation can play in rethinking spaces for Canadian diplomacy moving forward. A brief history of the Canadian embassy reveals a tension between the expression of a 'nation' within another nation's territory. There is the responsibility to both demonstrate respect for the host nation, while also expressing the values of the guest nation, even if not always aligned. The first two studios looked at the Canadian embassies in Mexico City and Washington in collaboration with Global Affairs Canada, while the third examined one site in Manhattan (UN Headquarters) and one in Brooklyn (Prospect Park), working closely with the founders of the Éenda-Lŭnaapeewáhkiing Collective. In all cases, questions were raised about the presence of Indigenous peoples and their values within nation-state spaces for diplomacy, as well as the expressed value of reconciliation through architecture and placekeeping within the urban environment.