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J U N E 2 0 2 3 | 85 Kashgêk' Building R EN D ER I N GS CO U RT E S Y R EI M AG I N E A RC H I T EC T S KASHGÊK' BUILDING by ROBIN BRUNET I n the McIntyre subdivision of Whitehorse is a unique structure of dark cedar, glass, and masonry with sloping, curving forms: the Kashgêk' Building, a new community hub for the Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN). And while the exterior is eye-catching, the inside is stunningly beautiful, with generous use of warm wood for stair- cases, wall frames, and railings. The Kashgêk' Building is a mile- stone for the KDFN: over the decades the First Nation had been relocated numerous times by Indian Affairs, and upon achieving self-governing status in 2005 it was determined to send the message that it was anchored and would flourish in a permanent geographical location. Its investment and funding of the new community hub not only provides programs and services to the community, but also reinforces that determination. The final iteration of Kashgêk' is the result of an 11th hour rejigging necessitated by the COVID pandemic. "The virus made us scramble to re- plan what the building would be, with input from the KDFN," says Richard Isaac, principal and co-founder of Reimagine Architects. Isaac relishes involvement with First Nations projects: for three years in the 1980s he lived and worked as a volunteer in Wabasca, assisting First Nation people with design and con- struction projects. "Working with the KDFN was very fulfilling," he says. "We started in 2018 with a design week that involved everyone from employ- ees to KDFN citizens and elders, all of us sharing design ideas." The former administration build- ing was located on the building site and was to remain in place for the ini- tial stage of construction. "We had to plan the new building around this existing structure," Isaac explains. "As a result, seen from above it would be shaped like a stylized leaping fish, symbolizing the community's connection to the Yukon River and deep and longstanding relationship with salmon and other fish species. The irony is that the old building was demolished before we began construction." Isaac was inspired by the spectac- ular cliffs of nearby Kwanlin (Miles) Canyon, a site important to the KDFN. The columns that surround the out- door plaza, the topographical map on the front of the welcome desk, and the large stone-tiled walls in the building's atrium all take their design cues from the canyon's geographical features. Council Chambers and the outdoor plaza both feature 14 pillars that sym- bolize the KDFN's relationship with the 13 other Yukon First Nations. Intelligent space design maximized daylight and promoted passive ventila- tion in addition to an energy-efficient envelope, and B.C. yellow cedar was selected for exterior cladding. "We're big fans of heavy timber, and credit goes to Fast + Epp for engineering the beams that are so prominent through- out the building," Isaac says. Wildstone Construction com- menced work on the site in September of 2019. "We installed 997 pieces of engineered lumber and three times as many connections, with the steel and wood structures lining up perfectly," says project manager Riley Stewart. But the arrival of COVID not only meant Stewart's crew had to quickly formulate a safety plan in order to continue working, it also required a fundamental change to the interior. Isaac says, "Our design was based on open concept spaces, which everyone was keen on, but the pandemic brought about the desire for more private spaces. Considering the building was already hoarded in at this point, we scrambled to rejig our design and cre- ate flexible spaces that could be closed off using demountable partitions. "Also, the lighting and mechanical, which had been designed for the open concept, had to be reworked – and all of this was accomplished within sev- eral weeks." Many other challenges were dealt with in an expedient manner. "The quarantines were tough on crews who came from outside of Yukon because they couldn't fly home on weekends," Stewart says. "People had to commit to five week shifts. We worked through record winter snowfalls, and then in the summer it literally rained every- day." A massive movable hoarding system allowed crews to heat portions of the roof for treatment and to begin drywalling without delays. Meanwhile, LEES+Associates cre- ated a landscape design consisting of a blend of a traditional plaza with a more park-like design approach, fea- turing a dry riverbed feature running along the front face of Kashgêk'. The 'headwaters' of this feature are located outside the windows of the healing room where water cascades down a series of basalt columns. When Kashgêk' officially opened its doors last October, KDFN Chief Doris Bill said, "We built a space for the council to meet, for staff to provide expanding programs, and services to citizens and beneficiaries – and for us to honour our culture. The building was community designed by and for our people." A LOCATION 35 McIntyre Drive, Whitehorse, Yukon OWNER /DEVELOPER Kwanlin Dün First Nation ARCHITECT Reimagine Architects GENER AL CONTR ACTOR Wildstone Construction Group STRUCTUR AL CONSULTANT Fast + Epp CIVIL /MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT Associated Engineering L ANDSCAPE ARCHITECT LEES+Associates TOTAL SIZE 37,660 square feet TOTAL COST $32.9 million

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