Designing North: A New Generation of Architecture in Iqaluit

After decades of Euro-Canadian planning, Iqaluit is finally benefitting from architecture that boldly meets the context.

Words: Adele Weder
Photos: Andrew Latreille (unless otherwise noted)
Posted: Mar 7, 2025
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For too long, the top-down approach to delivering architecture to Canada’s remote communities has largely been an abysmal failure. Much of the problem, to be sure, derives from the astronomical cost and logistics of shipping materials to the North. Formulaic thinking and old-fashioned neglect also figure prominently. Plus, the built landscapes north of the 60th parallel are rarely seen by design journalists and critics, let alone the majority of Canadians. Out of sight, out of mind.

And yet, with their rich heritage and perennial need for housing, northern communities should be the perfect stage for innovation and investment in the built environment. A permanent local community with deep ties to the land is a hugely important...