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year

2019

client

Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools

location

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

TAWAW role

Architectural Design

architect of record

Edwards Edwards McEwen Architects

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1

Background

Diverse Student Population

 
Serves students from various neighborhoods in and around Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The current pre-kindergarten to grade 8 population is projected to rise to 689 students with over 95% being First Nations or Métis.
2

Approach

Language and Culture

 

St. Frances hosts a dual stream Cree Bilingual and English program with a focus on Nehiyaw (Cree) language and culture. Since 2019, the design team has been co-leading engagement sessions with the community, assisting in the development of an educational facility that could host a new model of education. Design drivers: community, natural world, language, traditions, and ceremony.

13

number of community engagements
3

Impact

Student Success


St. Frances brings forward the voices of the local Cree community, as well as supportive partners, to create an innovative learning program designed to support Indigenous student belonging and success. The partnership includes Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, Saskatoon Tribal Council, the Indian Teacher Education Program, and the University of Saskatchewan.

Awards

Honorary Fellow


The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada is proud to announce that Wanda Dalla Costa, a prominent Indigenous voice and practitioner in North American architecture, has been awarded honorary fellowship for 2022. Wanda Dalla Costa is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation and was the first First Nation woman to become an architect in Canada. Her firm, Tawaw Architecture Collective, is based in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the director and founder of Arizona State University’s Indigenous Design Collaborative, a community-driven design and construction program that brings together tribal community members, industry and multidisciplinary teams of university students and faculty to co-design and co-develop solutions for tribal communities. Dalla Costa is a prominent Indigenous female voice within the architectural profession–specifically within the academic sphere in North America.
Awards

YBCA's 100 Honorees: Wanda Dalla Costa


Indigenous Design Collaborative's founder and design director Wanda Dalla Costa was recognized as YBCA 100 list of change makers and cultural activists working at the intersection of art, social change and civic life.
Awards

Trailblazer Award: Wanda Dalla Costa


Presented this year as part of NZ20, the world's largest net zero conference and expo, the Trailblazer Awards celebrate leaders who are building a net zero future through their work in the carbon, energy, water, waste, transit and/or policy sectors.
Awards

St. Lawrence Center Competition Award 2023

Awards

Jeff Harnar Award
Unbuilt Architecture 2021

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