Soda Creek – Xatsull First Nation Community Hall

This community centre serves the Soda Creek First Nation, also known as the Xatśūll First Nation, an Indigenous community at the edge of the Fraser River just north of Williams Lake, British Columbia. The First Nation serves more than 400 members who are a part of a larger group of British Columbia’s Interior Salish people known as the Secwepemc.

The application of wood in the overall design supports the First Nation’s commitment to delivering a fiscally responsible, functional, flexible, and beautiful facility to its members. The complex is constructed of wood and emphasizes the use of local materials, sustainable design, durability, and low-maintenance operation. The design integrates wood in both the structure and finishes. Composite lumber, douglas fir plywood sheathing, glulam beams, and glulam timber panels were sourced locally and installed by trades who were, in large part, from the areas surrounding the Soda Creek First Nation.

By integrating local wood, we were able to deliver a sustainable design that will maximize building longevity and energy efficiency. The use of wood as the primary structural system was not only the most appropriate choice but also the most cost-effective, considering the remote location and ease of access to local timber.

Photographer: Sunny Jhooty

Project Stats

• Client: Xatsull First Nation
• Location: Williams Lake, BC
• Size: 1,075 sq.m.
• Project Type: New Build
• Project Delivery: Design-Build