Jack Danylchuk
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 23/05) - PSAV Architects of Yellowknife have won the $3.8 million contract to design the new $41 million Yellowknife Court House.

"We're very pleased to have an important project like this," Keith Sanders, principal partner, said after the territorial government made its choice.

The decision was made last week, but the government hasn't spoken publicly. Other architects, while congratulating the winner, are concerned the process was too mechanical.

Wayne Guy partnered with renowned Metis architect Douglas Cardinal for the project. He was disappointed in the outcome and critical of the process.

"I'm perplexed. I'm pleased for PSAV, but I think the issues surrounding this building and this award will be discussed for some time to come," Guy said.

PSAV worked with an Edmonton firm to design the federal government's new Greenstone building and Yellowknife's twin-pad Multiplex arena.

Departing from the usual process for a significant public building, the selection committee made its choice without a design competition.

"The design process will be very much a co-operative one with the clients," Sanders said.

Mike Aumond, acting deputy minister of public works, said the $41 million project will move to the design phase early in the new year, after PSAV researches special security features that may be incorporated in the courthouse.

"Obviously we have an idea, but we're not at the point yet where we can see what the final design is," Aumond said.

"They have to do some preliminary work before the design can be confirmed."

The public won't get a peek at the design until sometime next year.

The project also attracted bids from FSC Architects and Engineering, Guy Architects, Nadji Architects and Pin/Taylor Architects.

The process was "heavily weighted to budget and schedule," architect Guy said, and seems to pay scant attention to the North and its culture.

"They treat it very much like they treat an engineering project. It has nothing to do with the finer qualities of a major facility that will be around for 100 years," he said.

"It's a tight-fisted approach. There is no opportunity for the public to jump in," he said.

"Elsewhere, major public buildings go out to public competition. The community is involved, it's healthy, it's exciting. Everyone wants to put their best foot forward and everyone feels they've participated," Guy said.

"This system where we hand in a mammoth amount of work and wait for two months is very antiseptic and removes a lot off possibility about what this building could be for the North."

With his team, Guy is sure the government "would have got some wonderful architectural sculpture within budget. It would have been a building of the North."

The new courthouse will be built on a rocky hill overlooking Frame Lake, between the legislative assembly and the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.

Estimated cost of the 5,300 square metre building alone is $30.9 million. Land, site preparation, design, servicing, and furnishing will add another $10 million.

The building will open in 2010. It's to have five courtrooms, one more than the present courthouse; two conference rooms, offices for judges, interview rooms, public spaces, secure parking and the latest security technology.