Today, the Basse-Côte-Nord is a territory in limbo, a tomorrow located beyond the end of the road - more precisely, beyond the end of Route 138, accessible only by plane or boat. Rather than a homogeneous territory, it forms a mosaic of scattered places, a constellation of villages and communities dotting the north coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Although marked by their isolation and diverse cultural and linguistic origins, the 5,000 or so inhabitants of the Basse-Côte-Nord Territory share a deep bond with the coastal territory they occupy, a frontier strip between land and sea. They call themselves the Coasters. Their daily lives are closely linked to the water: the villages are connected to each other only by boat, and many community members still make their living from fishing. This dependence on the sea means major logistical challenges and constant adaptation to sometimes harsh climatic conditions. Despite technological advances, taking to sea remains an act fraught with uncertainty.

This research studio examines the exceptional conditions that shape the Basse-Côte-Nord Territory today. In collaboration with the Centre de Services Scolaires du Littoral and various local partners, the individual projects aim to explore the challenges and opportunities specific to this territory, with a view to proposing sensitive, grounded and meaningful architectural interventions for coastal communities.