Chu Níikwän Place

Structural design for a $22M Indigenous-led office development featuring steel and mass timber.

Client: Group2 Architecture

Location: Whitehorse, YT

Project Type: Buildings

About This Project

Chu Níikwän Place is a three-storey, 41,250-square-foot office building located on Kwanlin Dün First Nation settlement land overlooking the Yukon River in Whitehorse. The $22 million development is the largest undertaken by Chu Níikwän LP, the business arm of Kwanlin Dün First Nation, and supports the Nation’s economic reconciliation goals. Named after the Southern Tutchone words for “Shining Waters”, the building incorporates architectural elements inspired by Kwanlin Dün artistic and cultural traditions, with Northwestel occupying the upper two floors as its Yukon corporate headquarters.

ISL provided structural engineering services as a subconsultant to Group2 Architecture, working alongside design-builder Wildstone Construction Group. The building features concrete frost walls and footings supporting a conventional steel superstructure, with composite metal decking on steel beams and columns. A distinctive mass timber entrance canopy incorporates locally sourced wood and nail-laminated timber (NLT) panels fabricated by Chu Níikwän LP, requiring specialized coordination to integrate timber and steel structural elements.

Delivering the project through a fast-paced design-build model presented challenges related to northern construction conditions, evolving architectural requirements, and construction sequencing. ISL coordinated closely with the project team to develop structural solutions that supported efficient construction while maintaining the building’s architectural vision.

The project also brought together expertise from three ISL offices, with Calgary leading structural design, Canmore providing specialty timber engineering, and Whitehorse delivering construction administration services. This collaborative approach supported the project’s completion on schedule and within budget, with Chu Níikwän Place opening in April 2024 as a significant Indigenous-led commercial development in the Yukon.

Key Features

  • Three-storey, 41,250 sq.ft. office building
  • $22M indigenous-led commercial development
  • Hybrid structural steel and mass timber design
  • Locally fabricated NLT entrance canopy
  • Design-build delivery in a northern climate
  • Multi-office structural engineering collaboration