Métis Crossing is a gathering space, and a place to reclaim both heritage and the land. The Crossing is Alberta’s first major Métis cultural interpretive destination where Métis people can share communal stories including the ways in which nature and design can co-exist.

Biomimicry Frontiers, and later B+H, were brought in to use our Living Story methodology to push the boundaries of resilient design. This required that we understand the trajectory of the place — the dynamics and interactions of water, wind, solar, topography, soils, and ecology, climate projections, seasonality, and adaptation. All these elements were considered through the lenses of the site’s past, present, and future to understand how our designs could support and enhance the existing environment. We also looked to the local genius of the place — the bison, aspen, beaver, grasses, and wetlands – as organisms and systems to model, mentor, and inspire regenerative design strategies that contribute to the resilience of the site.