Shelter Disenclosed

Abstract

The buildings that once housed the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School in Michigan have today begun to turn to ruin. Their boundaries have begun to fall apart. Many of their oppressive spaces are no longer enclosed. While the deterioration of building envelopes is typically cause for repair and maintenance, in this case the building enclosures separated much more than just interior from exterior, and their opening up means a reconnection of people, culture, and land that were long held apart. Such an open view of the envelope is essential to our architectural future.