Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre

Nk’Mip Cultural Centre is located in the unusual Canadian desert found in the South Okanagan Valley in Osoyoos, British Columbia. The programming features both indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces including a theatre, reconstructed pit houses, an outdoor amphitheater, and a snake research demonstration area.

The structure features the largest insulated rammed earth wall in North America (at time of construction). The 80m long, 600mm thick wall of earth was dyed with dry powder pigments to match the colour pallet of the surrounding landscapes.

The roof is another point of interest. To minimize the visual impact of the project, the structure’s roof blends seamlessly into the slope behind. The roof’s design allowed for a greater amount of the desert landscape habitat to be reestablished on site alongside its insulation benefits.