Indian Country Today

Architect Lubor Trubka sits behind a rounded table in his 12th floor office overlooking picturesque Coal Harbor and Vancouver's bustling west end. Elaborate models of past projects hang on walls throughout the office and lobby. Thin strips of balsam are painstakingly glued together, forming realistic tiny houses, buildings and communities. Colorful drawings and sketches of projects past and present are scattered throughout the office, along with Native prints and carvings given in thanks for designs of First Nations offices, school and community centers. Throughout Canada and the United States, traditional First Nations designs are being incorporated into modern architecture with greater frequency. Construction industry professionals on the west coast are realizing what First Nations knew all along - buildings covered in stucco and vinyl are no match to those sided in cedar, and buildings with long, sloping roofs withstand weather better than their flat-roofed counterparts.