Photo credit: Ema Peter
The Tsawwassen Youth Centre is located on the traditional lands of the Tsawwassen First Nation (TFN), south of Vancouver, British Columbia, on the sparkling waters of the Salish Sea. The word Tsawwassen means ?land facing the sea? with Coast Salish traditions going back over 4000 years.
Principal architect Dr. Nancy Mackin designed the space to include the Coast Salish creation story, in which birds descended from the sky and shed their feathers as they transformed into humans. Avian insignia (barn swallows, Western sandpipers and hummingbirds) adorn walls, welcome poles, and fritted windows (to prevent bird collisions). Being at the epicentre of the Pacific Flyway, millions of migrating birds flock to the area year-round. ?Architecture isn?t just about tangible materials,? said Mackin. She?s referring to how natural light plays and ripples around the rooms, casting bird silhouettes on the walls and floor. These plays of light echo transformation themes found in Coast Salish stories. Lighting fixtures embody Coast Salish circular shapes of the trigon and arc.
Photo credit: Ema Peter
Mackin consulted and collaborated with local artists, notably carvers and cultural guides, Karl Morgan and Bryce Williams. Interactions took flight among children, teens, and community elders.
Through this collaboration, Mackin has displayed the dance of barn swallows, the foraging expertise of the Western sandpiper, and the precision of a hummingbird in her execution of ...