ch'iyaqtel office and community center renovation

Station One Architects worked with staff and the community at Ch’íyáqtel (Tzeachten) First Nation to renovate the Tzeachten Administration Offices & Community Centre in Chilliwack. In the Halq’eméylem language, Ch’íyáqtel means “the place of the fish weir.”

The Nation built its community hall, with three governance offices, in 1997, and added an extension for more office space in 2010. The hall has since become the setting for the Nation’s cultural ceremonies and gatherings, while the offices and council chamber carry the day-to-day work of governance. The renovation needed to serve both roles well.

The project called for exterior, mechanical and electrical upgrades, along with updates to the council chamber, administrative offices and washrooms. We worked with Tzeachten staff and community members to create modern, functional designs that reflect the community’s culture and values.

A learning stair in the office lobby opens up the entry and gives people a comfortable place to gather, present or wait. It changes the lobby from a place people pass through into a place people use.

Added space in the cultural hall made room for a renovated kitchen, so the community can host events and fundraisers like craft markets, graduations, dances and clan meetings. A timber breezeway connects the two buildings, sheltering people from the weather and giving them room to mingle before and after events.

Cedar is featured throughout the interior and exterior, contrasted with a modern black and grey exterior.

The centre sits next to Tzeachten Affordable Housing, which we also designed for the Nation. Completed in 2022, the housing provides 23 units, mostly for young families, with two ground-level Elder suites woven in among them, and is supported by nearby Tzeachten services including a new Long House, band offices, community gardens and sports fields. Working on both projects gave us a clear picture of how the Nation’s homes, offices and gathering spaces fit together on the land.

The renovated centre gives Ch’íyáqtel a home for its governance and its gatherings that will serve the community for years to come.