NELSON HOUSE SCHOOL AND TEACHERAGES - Otetiskewin Kiskinwamahtowek, Manitoba

Located 700 miles north of Winnipeg, the Nelson House Teacherages school sits atop a sloped site at the centre of a native community, its location and cultural symbolism making it a central gathering place and focal point for the community as a whole. The construction utilized local labour and materials to create employment and to help boost the local economy. Following the contours of the site, the plan evolves from two interlocked semi-circles, the extensive outer segment housing the classrooms while the more compact inner segment contains the Library-Resource Centre and the school's administration. The sections are linked by two corridors which facilitate movement while providing noise separation for the administration centre. Both highly structured and refreshingly open, the building plan utilizes the main entrance foyer as a radiating point for the school's two levels of circulation to classrooms, the gymnasium, and the administration complex; the interior courtyard is designed as an extension of the classroom lecture space. Oriented on a north-south axis to receive more light from the winter sun, the building utilizes wood shading devices to control the effects of the sunlight through the seasons. Deep overhangs on the administration section's exterior windows optimize solar heat gain. To enhance the building's aesthetic and cultural character, wood finishes are used for both exterior and interior surfaces.

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