Nunavik modular construction project seeks partner

Among the furniture designs adapted to needs in Nunavik — a low-lying table, perfect for preparing country foods. (PHOTO COURTESY OF P. EVANS)

Here’s a housing-related project just waiting to spring into action.

The Kativik Regional Government has earmarked $750,000 in seed money from its 2014 budget for a Nunavik-based modular housing project.

But there’s the trick: this money will only remain available until the end of March 2015.

And if no partner is willing to bring it to life, the money will lapse, to disappear back into the KRG’s diversification fund.

Inukjuak’s Pituuvik Landholding and architects from the Université de Québec à Montréal developed the project, discussed Oct. 28 at the Northern Housing Forum, by Patrick Evans, an architect at UQAM.

Tommy Palliser, business development officer with the KRG who was the key instigator of this project, when he first proposed it at a 2009 housing roundtable in Inukjuak, Evans said in an email.

The project’s goal: to create year-round employment in Nunavik by manufacturing building components for the housing industry.

And it would help Inuit obtain journeymen licenses earlier — a longtime concern of the KRG and Makivik Corp.

The project would also lower costs of construction by 10 to 15 per cent, keep the money in the region, and involve Inuit in house design and construction, Evans said at the forum.

The project’s promoters developed two options for its management, he said — a non-profit corporation or workers’ co-operative, or a partnership with the existing Inuit construction companies, such as FCNQ Construction and Makivik’s construction division, and regional organizations.

In the project, Inuit workers would construct components such as storage sheds, cabinetry, functional furniture and housing panels.

Among the custom-designed furniture designs: benches, coffee tables and close-to-the-floor tables, conveniently designed for the cutting of fish or other country foods.

The idea for the Nunavik-based construction project came out of a 2008 UQAM competition to design houses for the North, which drew entries from 150 students, a video contest on northern housing with Isuma TV and a 2009 round table between architects and Nunavimmiut, held in Inukjuak.

These led to other unique designs such as a model “crisis” house which could be reconfigured to house 10 people or in a normal mode, three to four people, as well as houses with flexible designs and others which would see larger, more accessible kitchen so country foods could more easily be brought inside from the porch or freezer, and an inside storage area for food, snowmobiles or all-terrain vehicles.