ADVERTORIAL Fournier Gersovitz Moss Drolet et associés architectes Building with spirit in mind Canadian Design and Construction Report special feature Undulating wooden suspended ceiling at Puvirnituq airport If there was just one word to describe the approach taken by Fournier Gersovitz Moss Drolet et associés archi- tectes for each architectural project entrusted to the com- pany, it would be ‘context;’ physical, geographic, social and cultural. “With each building we design and erect, rehabilitate or restore,” says Alain Fournier, one of the firm’s founding partners. “We strive not only to meet our clients’ specific needs but, as well, to innovate and bring contextual mean- ing that will resonate powerfully with members of the com- munity, create a sense of belonging, of pride, even.” FGMDA is committed to promoting Inuit and First Na- tions’ cultures in its projects in Nunavik and Nunavut. The Puvirnituq Airport, commissioned by the Ministère des Transports du Quebec, is another fine example of the way building and culture are deeply intertwined with its qamotik-inspired artwork on the building façade. This tra- ditional shed also inspired the wooden suspended-ceiling in the arrival/departure hall, suggesting the undulations of snow dunes of the vast Arctic landscape. For the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cam- bridge Bay, the guiding concept was the qaggiq, a large communal igloo centrally located and linked to single-fam- 38 – February - March 2015 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report ily igloos set up around it. The CHARS plan translates this principle into a central meeting space where the scientific and local communities share knowledge, surrounded with smaller meeting rooms and services. When approached by Transport Canada to design Kuu- jjuaq Airport in Nunavik in Northern Quebec, state-of-the- art technology was integrated to build an energy-efficient, aerodynamic structure designed specifically for the rugged Arctic climate. The shape of the building was inspired by one of the Inuit culture’s most emblematic icons, the qajaq, or kayak, as it lays on its side. The design was de- veloped in collaboration with the local community and artists to foster its appropriation of the building. The same consideration for relevance and respect ap- plies to another FGMDA specialty: architectural conserva- tion. The heritage projects stem from an understanding of the building history and significance through archival re- search, surveys and exploratory openings. These often re- veal hidden gems, both in terms of materials and craftsmanship. Qamotik-inspired façade treatment