This new health complex is tailored to the cultural needs of indigenous people and is sustainably embedded in the Arctic environment. Architects Lola Sheppard and Mason White collaborated with the Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation (AIWF) to envision a centre that will cater to the needs of 22,000 people from seven indigenous groups living in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Project description by jury

The Artic Indigenous Wellness Centre (AIWC) is a building conceived to provide cultural and health-related services to First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples who are often forced to travel out of their communities to obtain specialized medical assistance. The complex reflects the traditional Indigenous concept of wellness that acknowledges a relationship between physical, cultural and spiritual dimensions. In this sense, the building is organized around three specific yet interconnected programmatic volumes serving three distinct functions: people gathering, education, and health assistance.

As a Main category prize winner in the regional Holcim Awards 2020, Indigenous Wellness in Canada automatically qualified as a finalist in the Global Holcim Awards 2021.

View Global Holcim Awards Entry – Indigenous Wellness in Canada

The built environment has a significant role to play in addressing climate change and enabling the transition to a net-zero and more inclusive future. The Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction global winners showcase the cutting edge of approaches to sustainable design, green architecture, and materials innovation. In the 6th competition cycle, the predominant focus of the entries in the North America region was the sustainable improvement of quality of life. The global prizes were presented at a handover ceremony at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy. The regional Holcim Awards Main category winners for North America were recognized at the same event.

People: Indigenous Traditions and Empowerment

In Indigenous worldview, wellness is a holistic relationship between culture, community, and environment. Despite Canada's recent shift toward truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people, there has been a shortage of facilities dedicated to Indigenous wellness in the Arctic territories. The AIWC will focus on mental wellness, traditional medicine revitalization, elder to youth skills programming, and traditional gardening. The foundation established a wellness camp in 2018 and has secured funds toward the construction of a dedicated wellness facility to open in 2022. The project emerged from ongoing co-design workshops with Indigenous elders, healers, and youth to define program, siting, and form. The project will extend local capacity from Indigenous skilled labour and craftspeople.

The project takes many context-specific measures to reduce emissions. In a remote region dependent on fossil fuels, the building uses district heating, leveraging waste heat from the adjacent hospital. The glazed south façade encourages heat gain in the winter months when the sun is limited and low, while a cantilevered roof limits heat gain in the summer when the sun is higher and prolonged. Regarding construction, the building requires no excavation by perching on the exposed rock, which also benefits from its thermal mass. The overall structure uses regionally sourced timber and stone, minimizing embodied energy expenditure. Furthermore, the project will employ local, Indigenous skilled labour including artists and craftspeople, to minimize travel and keep the investment local.