Speakers
Nicole Luke
Nicole Luke is an emerging Inuk Architectural Intern whose practice bridges architecture and cultural narrative. With family ties to the Kivalliq region of Nunavut and experience navigating both northern and urban environments, she brings a unique understanding of the design and construction challenges faced by Inuit/Arctic communities. Her work is grounded in Indigenous values, emphasizing responsiveness, inclusivity, and sustainability, while exploring how the built environment can foster cultural expression, social resilience, and economic empowerment.
Jesse Ajayi
Jesse Ajayi is a community planner and partner at Northern Futures Planning with 14 years of experience in northern and Indigenous communities, including four years living and working in Nunavut. His work spans land use policy, housing, and urban design in Arctic and remote contexts, as well as teaching and professional training for municipal planners grounded in community-led development review and land administration.
Stephen Westlake
Stephen Westlake has worked at Nunavut Housing Corporation as Programs Manager for Nunavut’s Igluliuqatigiingniq 3000 Homes Strategy, leading collaborative community housing initiatives and managing programs such as the Nunalingni Piruqpaalirut Growth Fund and the Supported Housing Capital Program. Previously, Stephen worked at City of Ottawa in Housing Services and shelters, and years working with nonprofit organizations with marginalized populations in BC and Ontario. His experience spans supported housing, homelessness prevention, and supported employment.
Catherine Orzes
Catherine Orzes is co-founder of Blouin Orzes architectes, a Montreal-based firm dedicated to northern projects. The work of Blouin Orzes can be understood as an exploration of the Canadian Arctic through architecture. Their approach is based on careful listening, sustained community engagement, and a mastery of the technical aspects of building in a northern environment in a time of climatic changes.
Shyniaya Duffy
Shyniaya Duffy is an Inuk from Coral Harbour, Nunavut, raised on Treaty 7 Territory in Alberta whose work explores identity, cultural reconnection, and the intersection of Indigenous and Western worldviews in architecture. As an intern architect (Two Row Architect), sessional instructor and Indigenous Student Mentor (SAPL, University of Calgary), she integrates Indigenous perspectives into architectural education and challenges euro-centric views and design within the built environment.
Guy Yango
Guy Yango is the current Executive and Political Advisor for the Kativik Regional Government (KRG), the administrative body governing the territory north of the 55th parallel in the province of Quebec). He oversees the strategic direction of the organization on behalf of the Chairperson of the KRG, and has been in the role since 2022.
Rachel Seepola Michael
Rachel Seepola Michael is a fierce Inuk woman who was raised by her Grandparents Simonie and Martha Michael in Apex (Niaqunnguuq), Iqaluit, Nunavut. Rachel Michael graduated at Inukshuk High School in 2014 in Iqaluit, and is now the Policy Analyst on Homelessness for the Department of Economic Advancement for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Rachel, currently working and living in her hometown. She is using her lived and work experience to advocate for Housing as a Human Right for Inuit, as well as equitable and accessible Mental Health Supports and Housing.
Helena Lennert
Helena Lennert is a partner at TNT Nuuk in Greenland. She works with architecture rooted in people and the specific identity of place, with a strong focus on functionality and usability. Her practice spans from early-stage programming and strategic definition to detailed design and project development, always informed by cultural context and the particular conditions of building in Greenland.
Discussants
Mark Bennett
Mark Bennett is an Inuk designer based in Tkaronto, Canada, originally from western Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). His practice in graphic and publication design centers on collaboration with artists, galleries, architects, and cultural institutions, including the Inuit Art Foundation, Fogo Island Arts, Joar Nango, and the National Gallery of Canada. His studio design practice and research engage Indigenous design methodologies through an exploration of the Japanese Metabolist movement, with a focus on circumpolar northern architectural traditions.
James Bird
James Bird is a proud member of the Dënesųłı̨né and Nêhiyawak nations from Tthebati, N.W.T. He is also affiliated with the Northwest Territories Métis Nation. He is currently a PhD candidate in architecture. His doctoral work, titled "Dënesųłı̨né Building Code: Integrating Tradition and Innovation into Policy," presents an inclusive framework for a Northern Building Code tailored to the extreme climate conditions of the Northwest Territories.