Indigenous Engagement
We work with Indigenous partners to co-develop culturally informed and inspired spaces. Diverse Indigenous voices and lived experiences meaningfully inform design and decision-making processes with the Clients we work with across a wide array of project types. By gaining keen insights into shared priorities, values and cultural identity, we collaborate to create spaces that honour traditional culture, heritage and language, while delivering sustainable, high performing facilities that aim to foster well-being and a sense of place.
Engagement sets the Foundation
Engaging with Indigenous communities and stakeholders allows us to grow our awareness of the social, cultural and economic factors relevant to a project and the region it serves. We team with seasoned Indigenous engagement partners and actively participate in consultation sessions with knowledge keepers, Indigenous community members, youth, educators and artists to support the design planning process. Through listening and collaboration, we can create customized spaces that meaningfully resonate with the communities they serve and celebrate cultural identity. Photo taken by Monica Giesbrecht, HTFC Planning and Design for Nanatawiwekamik Health Centre of Excellence.
Culturally Informed Design
We believe design must be informed by those who will use the facility to achieve best value and help make the greatest positive impact in peoples’ lives. Through consultation, spaces are carefully designed to honour and incorporate cultural values, ways of life and traditions. From prioritizing a connection to the land, honouring sacred cultural symbolism, integrating Indigenous languages, graphics and art, through to incorporating traditional knowledge and practices into a facility’s function, the built environment can reflect cultural values and priorities and support reconciliation in action.
Experience working with Indigenous Communities
For decades, LM-ESP has been working closely with Indigenous communities across the Canadian prairies and Northern Manitoba. Indigenous collaboration is a growing component of our design practice and spans diverse sectors, including healthcare, education, workplace, civic, recreation and residential project types. We work to build lasting partnerships with Indigenous communities based on earning and keeping a client’s trust and prioritizing open communication and collaboration throughout all stages of a project.
Building Positive Relations
For us, design is not a deliverable. It is a partnership-building endeavour we invest in to build trust, grow relationships and celebrate shared project successes. In the past, we’ve participated in community Career Days, Open Houses, sharing circles, community festivals and celebrations, regional site tours and travelled across North America to conduct hands-on Indigenous design research. These efforts help us to learn more about the communities we work with, their values, support capacity building and ensure design projects are developed in alignment with the community’s needs and values.