La Neige

Created during a semester in Montreal, La Neige explores how design can foster deeper, more meaningful relationships between humans and other beings, specifically snow. This project was part of a collective studio effort inspired by our instructors' research, contributing to the broader initiative called “Activating Design for Biodiversity.”

My work merges poetic reflection with conceptual public design. I started with an exploration of how snow influences memory, the perception of time, and emotional energy in public spaces. Through multiple visits to the Lachine Canal, I documented subtle environmental changes, developing a ritual of return that uncovered the evolving character of a place throughout the winter.

To give form to these ideas, after some prototyping, I proposed a public installation and interactive tool to be placed in a park. The proposal is modeled and rendered in 3D; the mobile-like structure invites people to shape the snow and interact with a delicate, suspended equilibrium. It becomes a temporary, evolving message that transforms through time, weather, and collective touch. The installation is not static but a co-created moment of balance and awareness, emphasizing the mutual impact between people and the natural world.

Lachine Canal Pictures

This project expanded my understanding of design as relational, poetic, and ecological. I explored how small rituals, such as returning to a site, can enhance attention and presence. I also began to see design not just as solution-making but as a way to shape interaction and meaning. Through poetic writing, environmental observation, and prototyping, I learned to approach natural elements like snow as collaborators in design.