In recognition of National Indigenous People Day, we invite you to join Women in Architecture Vancouver and DIALOG’s Katherine Gerson, Associate and architect, on Thursday, June 15 for a webinar and on Thursday, June 22 for a site tour of the new First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) project, a new office building that is first-of-its-kind founded through the expression of British Columbia First Nations self-determination and self-governance.

Event Details (Webinar)

Date:                      Thursday, June 15, 2023
Time:                      6 – 7 p.m. PST
Location:              Virtual
Fee:                       $5

Approved for 1 Core Learning Units (Indigenous Peoples Learning) for webinar only.

Event Details (Site tour)

Date:                      Thursday, June 22, 2023
Time:                     12 – 1 p.m. PST
Location:               600 Apex Avenue, North Vancouver BC, V7H 2R5
Fee:                        $10 for webinar and site tour

Full personal protective equipment, including CSA approved safety boots, hard hat, safety glasses, and high visibility vest are required in order to attend the site tour. Anyone not in possession of these items will not be permitted to walk the site.

Approved for 2 Core Learning Units (Indigenous Peoples Learning) for webinar and site tour.

About the First Nations Health Authority 

This two-part event led by Katherine Gerson showcases the new First Nations Health Authority project, currently under construction, that brings teams together from across Metro Vancouver locations to one central location on Tsleil-Waututh Nation land in North Vancouver.

The building structure and foundation design references Coast Salish cultural and building traditions and the deep connection the Tsleil-Waututh people have with their land and waters. The mass timber structure of the building will sit on a base of forms clad in fiber cement to give them a stone-like expression representing boulders or islands, with the spaces in-between symbolizing the waters that flow around them.

The new building will be a five-story administration office, over 9,000 square metres (97,000 square feet) of occupied space, built over two and a half levels of underground parking. The new office will accommodate approximately 350 staff and the design has been inspired by the plank house tradition of the Coast Salish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Rather than planks, aluminum composite metal cladding will be used.

About Women in Architecture (WIA) Vancouver

Established in 1990, Women in Architecture is a professional architectural organization based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, welcoming contacts from other similar local and international groups.

WIA’s mission is to champion women in architecture and related professions by celebrating their achievements and providing opportunities for career development, networking, advocacy, and inspiration for women at all career levels.

To learn more about Women in Architecture Vancouver, please visit wiavancouver.org.