Marie-Odile Marceau is a Canadian architect and partner at McFarland Marceau Architects Ltd. Marceau's career in both the public and private sectors emphasizes sustainability and community centered design. Throughout her career, Marceau has specialized in institutional and recreational facilities, and has received numerous awards for her contributions to sustainable architecture and Indigenous community design.

Background

Marceau is a Canadian architect who earned her degree from

Laval University Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxemb ...

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

. Early in her career, Marceau worked in construction in northern Quebec. She later moved to

Yellowknife Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

to take a position in the Public Works Department. During her time working in northern Canada, Marceau was engaged with native communities, subsequently working for the federal government as the Regional Architect in the

Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Early career

, Marceau worked as the Regional Architect for the

Native Schools Program between 1985–1993. During this time, she actively engaged with Indigenous communities, working collaboratively with them during the design development process. Marceau's collaborative, client-driven design approach propelled the program to garner national acclaim for the projects it generated, including Lalme' Iwesawtexw (Seabird Island) Elementary School by Patkau Architects (1991). The federally funded program brought a new approach to institutional and First Nations design in

. Marceau's role as Regional Architect prioritized quality design and community collaboration in the design process, engaging high-profile architecture firms in the province. Marceau then went on to start Marceau-Evans Johnson Architects in 1993, an architectural practice dedicated to the design of Indigenous school buildings. The practice continued to expand until 2008, primarily focusing on Indigenous institutional buildings in

Marceau-Evans Johnson Architects Completed Works

* 1998- Nadleh Koh School * 1998-

Kitasoo The Kitasoo are one of the 14 tribes of the Tsimshian people in Canada, who inhabit, along with Xai'xais people of Heiltsuk ethnic affiliation, the village of Klemtu, British Columbia. The name ''Kitasoo'' derives from the Tsimshian name ''Gidests ...

School Expansion * 1998- Aatse Davie School * 1999- Stellaquo Community Hall * 2003-

Quatsino Quatsino is a small hamlet of 91 people located on Quatsino Sound in Northern Vancouver Island, Canada only accessible by boat or float plane. Its nearest neighbour is Coal Harbour, to the east, about 20 minutes away by boat, and Port Alice, to ...

Band School * 2004- Salmo Secondary School * 2004-

McLeod Lake McLeod Lake is an unincorporated community located on Highway 97 in northern British Columbia, Canada, north of Prince George. It is notable for being the first continuously inhabited European settlement established west of the Rocky Mountains ...

Natural Ice Arena * 2005- Tachek Community School

McFarland Marceau Architects Ltd.

In 2008, Marceau partnered with Larry McFarland to open McFarland Marceau Architects Ltd. in

. The practice specializes in institutional and recreational buildings with an emphasis on sustainable design. The use of local materials, namely wood, is emphasized in the structural and formal expression of the firm's works.

Select projects

Seabird Island School s client

The Seabird Island Elementary School, completed in 1991 by

Patkau Architects Patkau Architects is an architecture firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is a full-service firm practicing in Canada and the United States. Its project scope includes, but is not limited to, gallery installations, art galleries, ...

, was a project facilitated under Marceau's supervision as Regional Architect for the British Columbia Native Schools Program. The school is located in

Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Spending his early life in Switzerland, he rec ...

and serves the northern

Salish Salish () may refer to: * Salish peoples, a group of First Nations/Native Americans ** Coast Salish peoples, several First Nations/Native American groups in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest ** Interior Salish peoples, several First Nat ...

community. The design and program allocation of the building is expressive of the natural landscape and traditional practices. The school responded to the community's cultural practices, and used local materials to engage the

community in the design process. The project received several awards, including the

Governor General's Award The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...

, Lieutenant Governor's Medal in Architecture, the Canadian Wood Council Honour Award and the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.

Gulf Islands Operations Centre

The Gulf Islands Operations Centre, designed as an administrative building for the National Reserve, is the first building in Canada to receive

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction ...

platinum certification. The saw-tooth roof is reflective of the mountainous landscape, and allows ample daylight into the building. All orientations have been designed for proper sun exposure and shading. The centre received the Award of Excellence in Green Building Design from the

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) is a not-for-profit, national organization that has represented architects and architecture for over 100 years, in existence since 1907. The RAIC is the leading voice for excellence in the built ...

in 2007.

BlueShore Financial Environmental Learning Centre

The BlueShore Financial Environmental Learning Centre is located in Paradise Valley British Columbia, situated in a federally designated land reserve. The design of the school recognizes the value of the surrounding landscape, and seeks to make it an outdoor classroom. The building was awarded

platinum certification and the Holcim Award of Acknowledgement for Sustainable Construction. The building has also won the Canadian Architect Award of Excellence-Merit, Lieutenant- Governor of British Columbia- Architectural Institute of British Columbia, Western Red Cedar, Canadian Wood Council + ''Woodworks.''

Publications

* 2012- Journal of Housing and the Built Environment: A participatory process for the design of housing for a First Nations Community

Memberships

, Fellow * LEED Accredited Professional * Architect, AIBC

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marceau, Marie-Odile Canadian architects Canadian women architects Women architects Year of birth missing (living people) Living people