Tantalus School

Tantalus School is a kindergarten to grade 12 school and satellite campus of Yukon College located in Carmacks, Yukon.  This 2,900 square meter wood frame school serves a small isolated community of 400 residents and is located 200 kilometers north of Whitehorse.

Traditional territory of the Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation, the Tantalus School is designed to meet the needs of the entire community and takes its shape from traditional pole structures found in the central Yukon.  As the largest structure in town, it serves many additional roles including a centre for community and first nation ceremonies, public library, disaster relief centre and recreation centre.

The covered, sweeping overhangs permit generous amounts of light during the winter but block the high summer sun to prevent overheating.  Like most northern schools, the building does not feature any mechanical cooling and is therefore reliant on passive measures to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature during the shoulder seasons.

CLIENT
Government of Yukon

LOCATION
Carmacks

YEAR
2004