 Genesis of a solar home construction project at Manitou College 
In this article, the authors trace a project to build four solar-powered houses on the campus of Manitou College in La Macaza, Quebec. Launched in 1973 and partially completed in 1975, this project had several objectives: to develop new modes of renewable energy consumption ; address the precariousness of Indigenous housing ; adapt prototypes to the cultural specificity of targeted Indigenous communities ; meet certain objectives of social inclusion and training of Indigenous students in the building trades. Based on the project’s archives and in-depth interview with Innu architect Guy Courtois, in charge of the sole prototype build, the authors uncover the tensions that surfaced during the various phases of development and construction. The article suggests explanatory avenues to assess the degree of adequacy between the stated objectives, the projected prototypes and the one finally built.