Anduhyaun Women Shelter: LGA Architectural Partners’ Healing-Centered Refuge in Toronto

The Anduhyaun Women Shelter is a compassionate, culturally sensitive emergency and transitional facility in Toronto, Canada, designed by LGA Architectural Partners to support Indigenous and non-Indigenous women and children fleeing violence. Named Anduhyaun (“our home” in Ojibwe), the 3-storey shelter was created in collaboration with Indigenous elders and community leaders, embedding cultural values and a healing framework into its architectural expression. It has been honoured for its social-impact design by Interior Design’s Best of Year Awards and recognised in other design award programs for its innovative approach to community-oriented architecture. LGA Architectural Partners+1

LGA’s design concept draws on natural elements and Indigenous worldviews, using fluid, curvilinear forms that evoke water, earth, and sky to guide residents through a journey of safety and renewal. The interior plan flows like a stream, with a winding corridor lined with glossy blue tiles symbolising water, leading to communal spaces—including a kitchen and dining area opening onto a private garden. A central circular room clad in cedar shingles, known as Nookomis, serves as a ceremonial and meditation space, with a skylight that marks the passage of day and night, supporting reflection and spiritual gathering. Canadian Interiors+1