ACADEMIC WORK

ACADEMIC WORK

Thresholds into Nature

The conceptual proposals for a new Kiixin visitor centre imagine the future of a site that the Huu-ay-aht First Nation have inhabited continuously for over 5,000 years. The proposal includes a modest structure housing an interpretive centre, a cafe and deck where visitors await the start of guided tours or rest with a warm drink after they are over, and a place of respite for guides between tours. An integrated network of trails and boardwalks provide walking infrastructure from the interpretive centre to the ancestral Kiixin site, with interpretive stops along the way at historically significant culturally modified trees (CMT) and other points of interest. The project theme was inspired by the stories we heard during our visit and the compelling way they unfolded the history and culture of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations. The studio was supported by a grant from the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund at UBC.

Instructor
Joe Dahmen

Team
Sophie Brunas, Anna Ferguson, Ashley Fleck, Alejandro Loyola, Jonathan Kwok

Year
2023

Site
Kixiin Ancestral Site, Anacla BC

Highlights
Decolonization & Reconciliation, Ecological & Cultural Sensitivity, First Nations History, Restoration, Site Conservation

Site Plan of the Kixiin Ancestral Site

Interpretive Centre Key Plan

Axonometric Diagram of Site Program Elements

Concept Diagram of Thresholds

Interpretive Centre Plan

Parking Lot Perspective

Interpretive Centre with Mounds Section

Hugelkultur Diagram

Temporal Mound Dynamics Section

Interpretive Centre Specifications

Seasonal and Modular Use of the Interpretive Centre

Art and Artifact Gallery Perspective

Cafe and Artist Residency Space Perspective

Walking to the Pavilion Perspective

CMT Boardwalk Key Plan

CMT #1 Boardwalk Plan

Ecologically Sensitive Boardwalk Interventions with Local Materials

CMT #1 Boardwalk Perspective

CMT Boardwalk Educational Pull-Out

Lower Kixiin Key Plan

Ancestral Site Plan with the Forest Canopy Walk and Overlook Platform

Overlook Platform Section

Overlook Platform Perspective

Canopy Walk Section

Canopy Walk Section

Canopy Walk Perspective

Beach Pavilion Plan

Beach Pavilion Section

Beach Pavilion in High Tide Perspective

Beach Pavilion Daytime Tour

Beach Pavilion Nighttime Story Telling