01 -44 RENEW MAY-JUNE25 PT - Flipbook - Page 25
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA FACULTY OF LAW
“The team focused on inclusivity, sustainability
and local needs to create a project that benefits
the community now and in the future.”
natural world, o昀昀ers guidance, stories and lessons to those
who enter. Seeing the design principles from those 昀椀rst
conversations now realized in construction is a powerful
reminder that buildings can be living expressions of Indigenous knowledge, and that true collaboration—grounded
in respect and reciprocity, is itself a form of learning and
teaching,” added Porter.
The use of mass timber on this project is another example that provides a carbon sink to reduce emissions from
prefabricated construction materials. For the erection
process, Chandos developed a comprehensive moisture
management plan to avoid potential water ingress or
moisture issues. Chandos’ additional sustainability
approaches that support LEED Gold certi昀椀cation include:
maximizing solar orientation, utilizing below slab HVAC,
and ensuring the building uses 100 per cent sustainable
electric energy. Incredibly, Chandos’ e昀昀orts have resulted in
83 per cent of waste being diverted from this project.
Another special feature is the building’s ventilation that
has been designed to accommodate smudging ceremonies.
It o昀昀ers integrated controls with equipment designed to allow for quick 昀椀ltration of smudging fumes following these
ceremonies. The atrium space also o昀昀ers natural ventilation.
RENEWCANADA.NET
“We’re thrilled to see the building come to life with
classrooms and spaces that are appropriate for learning
and teaching Indigenous laws,” says Freya Kodar, dean of
law at the University of Victoria. “The space will support
conversation, research, education and training about
Indigenous law issues and questions.”
This project has also received a Canadian Architect
Award of Excellence. While this space will house the
world’s 昀椀rst joint degree in Indigenous legal orders and
Canadian common law (JD/JID), its build story contains
many successful 昀椀rsts for the construction industry.
“This building is a central part of the transformative
work of bringing Indigenous laws into our law school.
Indigenous laws are not only located in texts, jurisprudence,
and statutes, rather, they are revealed, deliberated upon
and taught through lived experiences and interactions
with the world around us,” says Sarah Morales, JD/JID
director at the University of Victoria. “This building, and
the sites of learning it houses, such as gathering spaces,
an outdoor learning deck and a “maker space”, will create
the opportunity for scholars, researchers and students to
embody Indigenous laws through di昀昀erent pedagogical
approaches.”
The National Centre for
Indigenous Laws (NCIL)
at UVic, opening Summer
2025, will be a place to
share Indigenous legal
traditions. It will also be
home to the Faculty of
Law’s JD/JID program—
the first law program in
the world to combine the
study of both Indigenous
and non-Indigenous laws.
MAY/JUNE 2025 – RENEW CANADA 25
