Creating a cultural dialogue

This work explores the challenges involved in designing housing or other buildings for specific cultural groups. Housing in many First Nations communities in Canada are poorly designed both technically and culturally. Many houses suffer from serious mold damage, were poorly constructed and often are not suitably designed for the location in which they were built. The housing provided in many northern communities is the same design as those provided in Southern Canada. In addition to the technical design flaws, the housing is not culturally suitable. The lifestyle of the residents of Aboriginal Communities is often not considered and their input is rarely asked for. Another major issue with housing in First Nations communities is that it does not promote the growth of their culture and provide opportunities for the members of the communites. In order to provide adequate housing for a Cultural Group and to engage them in their culture and community, the designer must work closely with the residents and incorporate the use of local materials and vernacular techniques.