The Walter Soboleff Building, home of the Sealaska Heritage Institute, is a Native heritage and visitor center in the middle of downtown Juneau, Alaska. The 30,000 square foot facility includes administrative offices, climate-controlled archives, classrooms, retail spaces, space for exhibits and art demonstrations, meeting rooms, and a traditional Native Alaskan cedar clan house.
The building's location in the middle of downtown Juneau was challenging, tightly surrounded by local businesses and with as many as 14,000 visitors flooding the area from cruise ship stopovers during peak tourism season. Dawson's team took the extra safety precautions necessary to keep the public safe, and none of the nearby businesses were negatively impacted.
Named after the Rev. Dr. Walter Soboleff, a revered Tlingit cultural, political, and spiritual leader, the building was designed by MRV Architects and houses the Shuká Hít (Ancestors' House), a traditional clan house used for ceremonies and cultural events. Sealaska Heritage Institute set LEED Gold as a requirement from the outset, and the completed building achieved it, becoming the second structure in Southeast Alaska to earn LEED Gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council.
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Dawson Construction's amazing attention to detail has made this building a landmark that will forever be a part of Juneau. Their attentive team worked around the clock with superior work ethic and competence. The Dawson Construction crew was able to complete the project within budget and within the time frame, working with uncommon requests and needs.
From emergency repairs to ground-up builds, Dawson teams deliver across Southeast Alaska and Northwest Washington.
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