Nk’ Mip Desert Cultural Centre

The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre is designed as a deeply sustainable symbol of both the past and the future of the Osoyoos Indian Band. The site is adjacent to the northern tip of the Great Basin Desert. The interpretative centre includes a rich mix of cultural learning opportunities, with indoor and outdoor exhibit galleries, a multimedia theatre, and facilities for the band’s award-winning rattlesnake research. The building includes the largest rammed earth wall in North America, with integral colouring to reflect the vibrantly coloured Okanagan landscape. Nk’Mip has won design accolades from across the world, including the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Award of Excellence for Innovation in Architecture, and one of the first World Architecture Festival awards.

*Bruce Haden was Principal-in-Charge and Design Lead on this project while at Dialog.