New building will have Northern flavour: designer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Gino Pin, a longtime architect associated with Pin/Taylor Architects in Old Town, says a long-standing concern of his revolves around the impact of development on the unique Northern landscape.
"It is a pretty large facility ... so I can see that there will be a significant amount of disturbance at the site," he said, adding he hasn't seen the site plan.
Retaining natural surroundings means keeping a level of familiarity, which in turn provides added comfort to newcomers who might find the hospital experience "difficult, frightening and totally foreign," he said.
"I find that too often, especially with development that is generated from the south, ... buildings end up being a southern facility rather than one that has a lot of thought put into it regarding Northern lifestyles or ones that are sensitive to the Northern population," he said.
But Wojciech Brus of Kasian Architecture, who is the hospital project's lead designer, said he is aiming to ensure there will be a Northern flavour to the hospital grounds.
"Part of our design is to use concepts and motifs related to the NWT and have them expressed in components of the building," he said, adding the building will feature colours and natural resources from the North such as copper, and also have designs on the building that will mimic the aurora borealis.
Features sensitive to aboriginal users and families coming into the facility are to include a cafeteria facing Frame Lake that will mimic the shape of a teepee. There will be a healing circle and firepit for families as well.
"There will be families of patients who are there and in the summer some patients will be able to go outside and sit in a fantastic environment and beautiful park with a direct view of the building."
