School of Visual Arts Addition and Renovation
Address: Queen and 3rd Street
Location: Dawson City, Yukon
Date of Completion: November 2010
Owner: Yukon Government
Architect: Northern Front Studio
Description: Educational Building for Arts – Post Secondary Facility
About this Project
Ketza Group commenced work on this design-build project in April 2010. The task was to design a renovation and addition to the existing Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) facility for the School of Visual Arts (SOVA). Operated as a partnership by the Dawson City Arts Society (DCAS), Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, and Yukon College, SOVA provides students with a unique northern education accredited by Yukon College that is transferable to partner institutes across Canada.
The challenge was to design a building that complimented the existing facility and complied with Dawson City Heritage Bylaw guidelines while fast-tracking the design and construction in order to take advantage of the short building season in Dawson City, Yukon.
The Ketza team worked extensively with architect Mary Ellen Read of Northern Front Studios and the Heritage Advisory Committee in Dawson to design a historically appropriate building. The project featured mostly local hire employees and subcontractors from Dawson City and a significant amount of the material was purchased locally.
