First nations
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about first nations
Project • By Jackson Clements Burrows Architects • Universities
Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity
Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) is an Indigenous-led social change fellowship program based at University of Melbourne. JCB was appointed as the Lead Indigenous Architect to design an inspiring and culturally safe space for staff and visitors, and a welcoming place for Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders from Australia and the Pacific to collaborate. Located on level 5 of Building 168 within the UoM New Student Precinct, the existing fit-out was highly cellular, characterised by enclosed offices and meeting rooms, high windowsills and poor visual permeability and natural daylight. The design incorporates a Welcome space, Knowledge room, Kitchen, amenities, open and enclosed offices, and an Elders’ Lounge. The layout and ad... More
Project • By Figurr Architects Collective • Primary Schools
Joy Ottereyes Rainbow Memorial School
This new 2-storey elementary school houses premises for children with special needs, two groups of 4 and 5 year old preschoolers and 14 classrooms for pupils in grades 1 to 6.Depicting a mother goose sheltering her young, the origami-inspired structure spreads wings from its central agora, or meeting place. The upper floors of each wing separated by the agora, discourage the mingling of the older and younger children and are accessed at either end by a dedicated staircase. The ground floor beneath grades 1,2 and 3 offers a preschool while language and culture classrooms are found beneath the more senior grades 4,5 and 6.This icon of Cree culture, the goose, is a comforting reminder of the First Nation's roots and connection to nature.The ne... More
Project • By Figurr Architects Collective • Offices
Cree Nation Government Office Building
This recently completed building, located in Waskaganish, Quebec, houses the offices of the Cree Nation Government and those of the Eeyou Marine Region. It has a large, flexible and multi-functional conference room, designed to host meetings of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government.The design intent of the project was to create an attractive, easy-to-access workspace, which was also close-to-nature, the founding element of Cree culture. The building's volumes were originally designed to reflect the planned cohabitation between the Cree government and the Eeyou Marine Region, which is the tenant of the place. The space thus consists of two square volumes, each surmounted by a double-slope aluminum roof, meeting in the centre of the... More
Project • By Figurr Architects Collective • Cultural Centres
Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute
The Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute has the mission of transmitting the traditional Cree culture it draws upon to future generations. The building’s concept turns to the classic architecture of the Cree people’s traditional longhouse, the shaptuan, and to the particular context of the village of Oujé-Bougoumou. In this village, built in 1992 and unique in many respects, the main buildings were set within a broad circle in the centre of the village. The Aanischaaukamikw Institute rounds out the layout of this space, where the Band Council office is also located.The Institute includes an exhibition hall designed according to international museum standards, making it both a museum and meeting place. Community activities are held on th... More