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Pictou Landing Health Center | |
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Pictou Landing Health Center The plan was one of ten worldwide, selected from over 700 submissions, that were recognized in the 2004 Dubai International Award for Best Practices in Improving the Living Environment, sponsored by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT). Community participation was one of PDI's initial considerations during the conceptualization of the project. "Prior to our application [to the JCPC], I had done a study of indigenous architecture and building practices, particularly their use of wood," continues Kroeker, "We had also done research on using local people and materials to construct the center, which set us apart from the other applicants." The designers' intentions didn't translate into an immediate embrace of the project by the Pictou Landing community, however. "There was some vandalism in the early stages of construction," Kroeker reports. "No one quite believed in the project at first." Lilley adds, "Some residents disapproved of our concept — mostly the middle-aged group, as the youths and elders were largely supportive." Neither were the project's government funders fully sold on the architects' ideas. "The detractors from both parties would have preferred a more utilitarian building, so we had to prove ourselves to both sides." The project ultimately won over some detractors. Kroeker notes the effect of community inclusion in the building's construction and even decoration. "When we were finishing the natural plaster wall in the atrium, we invited the local schoolchildren to come in and sling plaster against the wall and leave their hand prints in the wall itself," Kroeker continues. "It shows that everyone in the Pictou Landing First Nation literally had a hand in creating this center." Lasting Impression Since its construction, the health center has garnered international attention for its demonstration of the architectural value of traditional Native building techniques, particularly in terms of sustainability. It was represented in the Canadian exhibit at the 2008 Venice Bienniale, and was shortlisted for an award in the health category at 2008 World Architecture Festival in Barcelona. Residents of Pictou Landing have several readings of the building. "There is one view that sees the building as an extravagance, in a context where often the lowest common denominator as supplied by outside governing structures is seen as the norm," says Kroeker. But, he adds, other residents say the building expresses a pride in who they are as a people, and that the spaces within and around the building create a sense of well being. Kroeker asserts that, regardless of any perceived excess, the project was economically beneficial to the community. "The funds for the building were earmarked for health care and didn't compromise other community initiatives," he says. "In fact, the funds were spent on locally sourced materials and skills." The project also provided an overdue analysis of Mi'kmaq ways of building, he continues. "There has been a long time gap since European contact first led to the building forms that are now familiar in the region. Most people don't regard Mi'kmaq culture as having an architectural history that could be relevant to the present." "Understandings of the building are changing with time," observes Kroeker. "The youth within the community have begun to identify with its clear intentions and with its cultural roots as representing another way their traditions remain important in leading them into the future." Giancarlo La Giorgia is a freelance print and video journalist. He is president of the Professional Writers Association of Canada: Quebec chapter, a member of the English Language Arts Network, and author of the bestselling book Canadian War Heroes: Ten Profiles in Courage. More by Giancarlo La Giorgia Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...
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