Ndilo, Northwest Territories

Completed in 2009

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The K'àlemì Dene School is a K-12 school in the Dene community of Ndilo. From the outset of the project, the community and school stakeholders were adamant that the design create a school in which the students could learn in an environment expressive of their own culture. TAG frequently met with community representatives to gather a sense of what the community wanted. Studies of historical indigenous imagery, colours and materials resulted in a selection of culturally relevant patterns and colours for use in the flooring and finishes. At the request of one elder, the school entrance was developed to be a pleasant social gathering space with benches, views toward the lake and a faceted “natural” wall surface that contains peek-a-boo windows to the adjacent Kindergarten space. 

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Awarded 2nd Place: Architecture, 2015 NWTAA Architectural Awards