Cambridge Bay cultural campus revitalizes Inuit construction practices

A group of Elders from the Pitquhirnikkut llihautiniq/Kitikmeot Heritage Society in the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut is developing a new cultural campus to document, revitalize and mobilize traditional lnuinnait knowledge. The entire community will benefit from a $500,000 project that consists of two buildings totalling 4,600 square feet and space for outdoor activities. Designers listened closely to local residents' needs and experience and incorporated those learnings in a space that will maximize community uses and support local culture. 

Nunamiutuqaq (Building from the Land) is meant to revitalize Inuit practices for building in harmony with the Arctic landscape by bridging traditional architectural principles with cutting-edge approaches to low-energy, low-carbon buildings—many of which have not previously undergone Arctic testing. The initial 1,100-square-foot structure was constructed at the Green Building Technologies research lab at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, then shipped to Cambridge Bay and reassembled as a space to test and monitor the performance of sustainable building materials and technologies. 

The second building is now under construction. It will include a museum and archives, an innovation hub, a community gathering space, a dedicated space for Elders and a research library. The design incorporates traditional principles and concepts identified by Elders and other community members, including passive solar and solar shading techniques, building orientation, fenestration techniques and foundation design to account for permafrost. The building will feature walls and ceilings with top-tier insulation, high-performance windows, enhanced airtightness with minimal thermal bridging, energy-efficient components, onsite solar panels and high­ performance low-embodied carbon materials. The project also emphasizes local economic participation with a purchasing process that prioritizes Northern and Indigenous-owned businesses. 

Photo by Margaret Thompson. Courtesy of Kitikmeot Heritage Society