b'MODULAR HOUSINGtomorrows expensivethe corners you cut will result in deficiencies, repairs and renovations, says Richards. And in the case of our Indigenous communities in Canada, who have been the recipients of decades of government housing built with the poorest materials available and the poorest construction methods, cheap has ultimately cost us our health. If we cant deliver a high-quality project to a Nation, we simply wont do the project. Were not compromising on quality at the expense of our communities. They need housing that will last for generations and that can withstand the climate conditions in their territory.While most people dont think of construc-tion companies as champions for equitable social housing change, for Richards, its all part of a days work. I often feel that I am spending most of my time being a compas-sionate advocate for quality housing for our people and less time being the CEO of a modular company! she says. But if thats what I need to do to turn the dial and catalyze positive change, then thats what Ill do. Its a fight worth fighting.INDIGENOUS DESIGNCory Douglas is a Vancouver-based archi-tectural and civil engineer technologist, as well as a visual artist. A Squamish Nation member with Haida and Tsimshian ancestry, he first met Rory Richards in 2019 through a common friend. We hit it off. Both being Coast Salish, both being in the architec-tural and building industry, and both being self-employed, it was a good fit, says Douglas.Today, Douglas heads NUQOs Indigenous design and development, working on proj-ects that include the Squamish modular housing build. NUQO predesigned the modular units, and we looked at some creative ways to bring in culture prior to the design team being contracted, he says. We had an opportunity to explore how we were going to incorporate culture into this project.One opportunity that presented itself immediately was the treatment of the exterior walls and bringing Coast Salish design elements into the faade. NUQO is working with digital interior designers to integrate cultural elements into the inte-rior surfaces as well. We were looking at a variety of colour schemes that would NUQO also has a contract to design, fabricate and install elements of a 70-unit housing buildreflect our cultural values and our history, at Kwantlen First Nation, pictured here. Its aim is to bea strong advocate and builder ofsays Douglas. We also looked at what Indigenous housing 58A CCAB PUBLICATION2022'