Explore how homes are built, community design, and the challenge of powering communities in Building Connections - the newest permanent exhibit at the Saskatchewan Science Centre!
The Sustainable House
Build a real two-story house by adding siding, shingles, and bricks! Put the shingles on the conveyor belt to take them to the second floor, then drop them down the waste chute when you’re finished with them. Explore the house to see real building techniques and materials. How is stucco applied? What do the wires behind my walls look like?
Appliance Wall
Inside the Sustainable House, learn about the power use of different appliances, then play our new video game! Follow Eddy through the house as he leaves electrical objects on. Go behind and turn them off in the same order to defeat Eddy and save electricity!
Spin Browser
Spin the wheel on the exhibit to move back and forth through time during the construction of a single-detached house and a modular apartment building.
Sounds of Your Community
Tap the coloured circles on the wall to hear sounds common in your community – dogs barking, birds chirping, lawnmowers running. Or move to the DJ turntables or keyboard and mix your own tracks!
What You See Outside Your Window
Draw a picture of what you see outside YOUR window, upload it to the computer, and then compare your view with the view of other Science Centre visitors’.
Materials Wall Building a home? Grab the laser scanner and select the best materials to use to build your home. Unsure of what to pick? Scan individual items and learn more about them!
Mapping Mayhem
This huge floor grid is a map! Move the giant toy buildings around to create your own community, but be careful! Do you want to live beside the garbage dump? Where does the hockey rink go? Watch out for the lake!
Distribute Electricity Most of Saskatchewan’s power comes from coal, but you can also power your home from solar or wind energy. Add buildings to the electrical grid until you’ve used up the available power. What happens to the amount of solar power available when it’s cloudy?
Wrap-Up Quiz Game
What have you learned? Take one of 4 quizzes to see how much you learned about home building, community planning, power distribution, and sustainability in all of these key areas. Are you ready to be an urban planner?
Special Thanks To Our Exhibit Sponsors