CEN Community Science Centre

The twin villages of Whapmagoostui–Kuujjuarapik, at the junction of Cree and Inuit territory, between taiga and tundra, have been Laval University's Centre for Northern Studies (CEN) research hub since the 1960s. The Community Science Centre is the newest addition to the campus: a state-of-the-art building designed to facilitate research, knowledge exchange and community outreach.

The ground floor features a permanent exhibition on the territory's cultural and scientific history, alongside flexible teaching and conference spaces adaptable for scientists and school groups alike. The second floor offers private quarters for visiting scientists and dormitories for students.

The design narrative unites the Inuit, the Cree and the visiting researchers, nicknamed the "tent people," through architecture: a prospector tent inspired volume, teepee poles modulating the façade, an inukshuk and an open teepee structure extending into the landscape.