The Nk’Mip Desert Culture Centre's design is a specific and sustainable response to the building’s unique context - the spectacular Canadian desert found south of the Okanagan Valley in Osoyoos, British Columbia. This 1,600-acre parcel of land, belonging to the Osoyoos Indian Band, is the largest intact remnant of this unique habitat. The rammed earth building is an extension of the remarkable site. It features indoor and outdoor exhibits that honour the cultural history of the band.
If the very old will remember, the very young will listen.Chief Dan George
Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre Points of Interest 01
The desert landscape flows over the building’s green roof and is held back by a rammed-earth wall. Artfully engineered layers carry upwards of 100 tons of weight. Its earth tones hold a thermal resistance of R33, and functions well in temperatures that range from -30 C to +40 C.
Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre Points of Interest 02
The project’s ambitious approach towards sustainable design also includes the use of bluestain pine from trees killed by the pine beetle, low-flow fixtures, waterless urinals, and facilities for the Band’s award-winning rattlesnake research project.
Paying homeage to the history of the Osoyoos Indian Band and their 'place'.
