Designed for all generations to learn from and celebrate together, this facility offers a kitchen for preparing traditional foods, an ethnobotanical garden for growing important food plants, a language lab for sharing Indigenous languages, and spaces for cultural and social gatherings, all led by Tla’amin cultural wisdom.Tla’amin “Our House” -- Ɂəms ʔayɛ –celebrates cultural renewal for this northern Coast Salish Nation who has lived on their ancestral lands for over 10,000 years. It offers a class A museum and repository, ethnobotanical garden, community kitchen, language lab, recording studio, and cultural gathering space linked to a traditional food processing facility. Tla’amin citizens were engaged in all aspects of design and construction, building careers within the Nation while providing access to healthy traditional foods and cultural practices.
The building is made from rot-and fungus-resistant Western red-cedar, the “Real Tree” in Coast Salish cosmology. Ingenious construction systes Ɂəms ʔayɛ architecture uses all parts of red-cedar in new ways: naturally curved logs, flared log bases, bark, roots, and other rarely used components are used in the building, millwork, and contents..
Ɂəms ʔayɛ’s log poles and beams optimize the strength of red-cedar’s structural capacity: the cylindrical form is stronger than cut rectangles. CNC Laser Precision was employed to prefabricate the entire log structure: a demountable cedar frame that can be used beyond the life of the building. Wood was sustainably harvested from Tla’amin Treaty settlement lands according to Tla’amin Forest Resource Plan which exceeds federal and provincial standards for conservation networks, stream protection, and old-growth management. Rooted in Tla’amin taʔow (Teachings), the Plan protects core Tla’amin cultural values, supports ecosystem integrity, and enhances environmental health by maintaining biodiversity and abundance across the ʔəms giǰɛ.
Siding was milled locally with Tla’amin’s own mill. Exteriors uses exclusively red-cedar dur to its durability: extractive oils within its structure that are moisture-rot-and-insect repellant. Western Red Sansin coatings protect cedar from ultraviolet light and the elements.