[RE]Connection: Bringing Purpose Back to the Waterfront. Redevelopment of McArthur Island, Carleton Place, Ontario

This thesis will examine the 'values' based approach to redeveloping a cultural landscape. By reinterpreting past values, can the waterfront be re-established as an asset for the culture of today? The theme of continuity and the idea of evolution are used to develop a mix use design proposal for McArthur Island, Carleton Place, Ontario. Adaptively reusing both the building and the site, to restore life to this waterfront. Currently, there is a fundamental shift underway in regards to how heritage should be preserved. It is becoming realized that it is not enough to focus solely on the conservation of the site, purely for the sake of preserving its material elements. To properly preserve, means reinterpreting the values present on site and in context, and connecting them both back to society in a relevant way.