Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1408886
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 85 Métis Crossing Boutique Lodge R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E SY R EI M AG I N E A RC H I T EC T S LT D. MÉTIS CROSSING BOUTIQUE LODGE by ROBIN BRUNET T he new 40-room Métis Crossing Boutique Lodge is more than a facility that caters to the demand for Indigenous experiences in Alberta: it also contributes to a mas- ter plan that enhances and restores the historic Métis Crossing settlement in Smoky Lake. Métis Crossing is a destination for cultural interpretation, education, gatherings, and business develop- ment. Sitting on 688 acres of land and comprised of river lot titles from the original settlers in the late 1800s, the Crossing engages visitors through an exploration of cultural experiences. The Boutique Lodge, which was designed by Reimagine Architects Ltd., is a critical component to the Crossing for a variety of reasons. "For starters, our nation diverges from the standard model of accepting subsidies," says Juanita Marois, CEO at Métis Crossing. "Our goal has always been to be finan- cially self-sufficient, so our business model was predicated on attracting guests from around the world. "Prior to the development of the Boutique Lodge, we were seeing up to 10,000 visitors annually spending several hours with us. The lodge will enable them to spend several days in a fully immersive experience, thus sig- nificantly increasing the number of guests and attracting visitors from the U.K, France, and Germany, which have identified as particularly interested in our offerings. It also means more jobs for the local economy and helping grow Alberta's tourism industry." That Tiffany Shaw, architect at Reimagine Architects Ltd., was assigned to the project is no accident: her firm had worked on the Métis master plan for almost two decades. "It was crucial to retain an architect that was fully engaged in our process of taking elements that elders, artists, and other Métis have told us about our community and using them to develop our infrastructure," says Marois. It was originally intended for the lodge to be modular and built offsite, "but schedule and budget didn't allow for this option, plus our design would evolve and the modular method doesn't eas- ily allow for the changing of elements," says Shaw. "Also, we originally planned for 20 rooms, but the Métis business case justified doubling that number." Shaw had also designed the adjacent Métis Crossing Cultural Gathering Centre, a dramatic facil- ity that hints at the building style of fur trade-era river lot homes yet offers modern functionality. This con- temporary space would influence the Boutique Lodge design in many aspects: to take one example, both structures are clad in Accoya wood in a Dutch lap style; this modified wood meets Métis environmental stan- dards by being sustainably sourced, outperforming even the most dura- ble tropical hardwood cladding, and exhibiting less shrinkage and swelling. Shaw says, "As a Métis architect, I evoke the language of the site in my design. And following the exam- ple of the Cultural Gathering Centre and other structures, we wanted the Boutique Lodge to respect the past while being forward looking – hence contrasting elements such as post and beam construction with contempo- rary architectural methods."