Ross River Dean Koues Sustainable Community Planning

Client: Ross River Dena Council

Location: Ross River, Yukon Territory

Area: Community Plans, 10,000 sq.ft Cultural Centre, and 50 Detached Homes

Cost: 18 Million

The Ross River Dena Koue and Sustainable Community Project began as a small conceptual design for a new community centre on a sacred site in this remote Yukon town. The project grew to include a community plan for a 50 home subdivision adjacent to the existing town of Ross River. The project is situated at the confluence of the Ross 8: Pelley Rivers, where the community first stood before being forcibly relocated in the 1960’s. The design of this new community is based in the age-old wisdom of the Kaska Dena people, and their desire to have a close and harmonious relationship with the land they inhabit With the participation of the community as a whole, Douglas Cardinal designed a community that is an expression of the rich culture 8.: history of the Ross River Dena. At the request of the council, all areas of the community are connected via a common natural green space, with vehicular traffic being relegated to the periphery of the community. The design calls for the use of only the most contemporary community infrastructure technology available, including self-contained waste water treatment tanks, micro-hydro, solar and wind power generating facilities. In addition, all construction in this new community will be modular, and made from local materials by local trades This type of building assembly allows for ease of construction and flexibility over time according to the community.