A Saskatoon-based architect is bringing a community鈥檚 vision to life.
Andrew Wallace of Wallace Klypak Architects, alongside Tawaw Architecture Collective, is designing a school for Sweetgrass First Nation inspired by the natural landscape and Cree culture.
Wallace, whose firm has designed several buildings in Saskatchewan, spoke to The StarPhoenix about moulding buildings to community wishes despite COVID-19. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: When you design a building for a First Nation, what鈥檚 the first thing you do?
A: What鈥檚 on my mind is getting it right. The way we do that is by heavy engagement with the community. It鈥檚 not just a small group of people who are designated to speak, although we do have that kind of committee, but we make an effort to listen to everybody.
As we develop a design, we go back again and ask again, 鈥淚s this what you鈥檙e talking about? Does this work for what you want?鈥� The trick to it is being very patient, and not calling it a day too soon.
Q: How has COVID-19 affected that?
A: It鈥檚 thrown a wrench in it for sure. We鈥檙e getting pretty good at video conferencing. We鈥檙e still able to have (meetings) with a pretty good representation. It鈥檚 also different groups of people for the kindergarten room compared to the elders鈥� room.
We produce drawings that we share with the group. The software we use produces a 3D model. (With it), we show everything, down to the colour of the walls.
The land around Sweetgrass is quite beautiful and they (also) wanted a relationship to that.
(To do that) there鈥檚 three colours of brick that we鈥檝e chosen: a dark red, an orange red and a darker brown. They鈥檙e intended to mirror the colours in the landscape, the grass and the ground.
The form of the building has gentle curves. There鈥檚 a hill on the school grounds 鈥� I can imagine kids tobogganing on it 鈥� and the building steps up from the east to the west to visually mirror that hill.
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Q: What鈥檚 unique about the school?
A: We鈥檝e done work on other First Nations where you鈥檒l see elders walking the corridors, talking to kids. They have a teaching role within the school. That鈥檚 the case at Sweetgrass. They have a room where children are taught traditional ceremonies and cultural practices, usually by elders. In this case the room is circular, drawing inspiration from the shape of a teepee.
Another feature is their land-based learning programming. That includes taking kids on the land and teaching them Cree culture and practices. (To facilitate that, we designed a) building for processing game.
听Q: How do you hope students feel when they go to their first classes and the project is eventually finished?
A: I hope they feel like it belongs to them. I hope they feel ownership of it, that it鈥檚 part of their community, part of their culture, that they see themselves reflected in it. I hope they feel at home there. I hope they feel proud of it.
