Protect and Preserve
At this time of reconciliation and healing in Canada, the Heritage Hub project aims to protect and preserve Chippewas of Thames ways of knowing, while also improving access to cultural lifeways and increasing economic development for the local community.
Earth-embedded Structure
Through engagement, the community shared their traditions of mound building as well as affinity for the natural landscape, which inspired the form and siting of the structure embedded in the earth. The earth offers protection from cold Canadian climate.
Social and Community Cohesion
The Heritage Hub will serve four complementary functions: a cultural center, a governance building, guest accommodations, and cultural grounds, which include three fires that represent community, council, and demonstration. Cultural associations include traditional woodland patterning, the clan system, and local constellation teachings including the concept of thirteen moons.