Inuit Futures ilinniaqtuit

Nicole Luke

Although her family hails originally from Rankin and Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, Nicole Luke was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and relocated to Winnipeg as a young child with her family. Growing up with a love of both art and science, Nicole decided to pursue what she describes as “the best of both worlds” by studying Environmental Design at the University of Manitoba. During her studies, she traveled to Mexico City, Copenhagen and Venice with her classmates on studio tours in order to gain exposure to design and architectural styles from around the world. Following each of these trips, she created hands-on projects inspired by the experience that cemented her interest in architecture and design.

“One year when I went to Mexico City, we spent time in a commercial infrastructures studio, so I made a mock-up of a pavilion area in the centre of Mexico City,” she says of her first studio tour. “Then while we were in Copenhagen I realized they have a very good housing situation, so I designed a transitional housing project for the formerly homeless in Winnipeg. Depending on where we go, it allows us to figure out what we want to do for a project, so travel and exposure to new cultures have been really important to me.”

After completing her degree in Environmental Design, Nicole enrolled in a Master’s of Architecture at the University of Manitoba. Now in her first year of the program, Nicole is already setting her sights on what lies ahead, with the goal to become a registered architect after completing her coursework and inspire other Inuit students that are interested in architecture and design. 

“It will take a few more years to become registered, so I still have another two years working experience outside of school to collect hours in certain areas and take my exam before I reach that goal,” she says of her future plans. “In order to do that, I have to find a mentor and I hope one day I can be a mentor for other Inuit if they want to take this exam as well.”

Nicole stresses the importance of future Inuit involvement in her discipline, adding, “I think one of the main goals I want to do, at least for my career, is to build capacity and make the study of architecture more accessible.”

For now, she is busy with her program as well as the upcoming launch of the Inuit Art Center in Winnipeg, slated to open in the Fall of 2020. Working as a Research Assistant in Exhibition Design funded through the Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership Project, Nicole will aid in the curation of future displays, as well as the digitization of pieces from the collection through a 3D scanner. 

“It’s been such a fantastic experience to get my name out there through Inuit Futures and be able to network,” she says of her time as an ilinniaqtuk. “It’s great to know that architecture is considered part of the arts as well and can be included in the Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership Project. I love creating art and seeing through an artistic process, but it’s great that I can be involved in the technical side to it as well.”