What does it mean to design for permanence in a city built on impermanence? That was the guiding question behind "Oil, Land, People: The Challenges for Architecture," a Yale School of Architecture studio led by Claire Weisz, Marc de La Bruyère, and Andrei Harwell, with support from Farida Abu-Bakare, Director of Global Practice at WXY.

The studio focused on Edmonton, Alberta, a northern city shaped by the volatility of oil and the policies that support it. Students traveled to Toronto, Edmonton, and Jasper to explore how development patterns, land value, and cultural histories intersect. Their work combined urban analysis with architectural strategy, asking what kinds of housing might offer stability, affordability, and dignity in a place that rarely guarantees any of those things.

"You don't begin by drawing," said Claire. "You begin by listening and asking what the city really needs to hold on to."

That sensibility mirrors WXY's practice, where architecture is one tool among many. Whether planning waterfronts in former industrial zones or guiding community-led development frameworks, WXY designs with a long view. The firm is known for moving fluidly between policy and form, always focused on reshaping the systems that shape the city. The studio became a space where students could try out that approach for themselves.

The resulting projects tackled housing from multiple angles, blending ecological insight with financial strategy. Many proposed new models for collective living, flexible infill, and public-private stewardship, all grounded in the specific economic and cultural conditions of Edmonton. The goal was not to fix the city, but to understand it well enough to design something lasting within it.

Now published in "Oil, Land, People," edited by Nina Rappaport and Charis Armstrong, the studio's work addresses a broader architectural question. What does it mean to design with full awareness of the forces behind the built world? For WXY, it confirms a belief that architecture is most powerful when it engages not just with materials, but with systems, people, and the possibility of change.

Purchase a copy of "Oil, Land, People".