Urban Indigenous Youth and Education Project

Urban Indigenous Youth
and Education Project

year

2023

client

Infrastructure BC

location

Vancouver, BC

TAWAW role

Architectural Design

architect of record

Formline Tawaw Architecture Inc.

1

Background

Needs of a Growing Population

Situated on the un-ceded territory of the Musqueam Indian Band, Coast Squamish Nation, and Tsleil-Waututh Nation (MST), this project will be home to Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA), Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT), with housing and childcare uses provided by the City of Vancouver. This project offers the opportunity to create a community based on Indigenous values and cultural narratives.

2

Approach

Decolonized Indigenous-led

An Indigenous-led team, creating a project designed by Indigenous people for Indigenous people. This is essential to enhancing the cultural and economic wellbeing of urban Indigenous people on traditional territory. The roots of our approach are informed by our community-led collaborative design and Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being.

5

number of community engagements

3

Impact

Multi-Generational

Creating a sense of belonging through representation of the territorial tribes, art integration, and language integration, within the design. The urban development project is designed to support across all stages of life, offering child care, youth programs, post-secondary education, and affordable housing. Complementing these efforts are a diverse array of communal spaces intentionally crafted to encourage multigenerational interaction spaces.