63600

This study examines how well the designs of current northern housing suit the activities, cultural values, and lifestyles of contemporary Inuit families. Life in an Inuit community does not parallel life in southern Canada. For some 50 years, Euro-Canadian style houses have been built in Inuit communities, with little thought to the cultural configurations of Inuit families. Using a sophisticated sampling approach to capturing actual usage by 47 volunteer Inuit families in Arviat on Hudson Bay, the research shows that relatively simple design changes could greatly improve the social sustainability of Inuit housing.