Case Study: The Nisga’a Museum achieves cultural repatriation and a world-class heritage museum with VectorWorks

The Nisga’a Museum - Customer Case Study

Hillel Architecture, working with Alan Graves Design, Duane Ensing Landscape Design and cultural specialists, was commissioned to design the Nisga’a Museum in remote Laxgalts’ap after the Nisga’a Final Agreement returned land and artifacts to the Nation. The brief was to create a culturally authentic, secure and sustainable home for hundreds of repatriated treasures—built from scratch in a logistically challenging, environmentally sensitive location while meeting strict curatorial, community and infrastructure requirements.

The team delivered a 930 m² museum with a 465 m² exhibition gallery whose canoe-shaped roof, longhouse entry and Raven iconography embody Nisga’a traditions; many objects are displayed outside cases by cultural choice while first-rate security and conservation measures protect the collection. Complementary indigenous landscaping and integrated design tools (Vectorworks) helped complete the project, which opened May 11, 2011, restored cultural ownership to the Nisga’a, attracted national and international attention, and established a new regional cultural‑tourism landmark.

The Nisga’a Museum

Alan Graves

Owner, Creative Director, and Senior Designer