Kristel Derkowski is the Manager of Research & Development at Taylor Architecture Group (TAG).

TAG was founded over forty years ago in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to provide contextual design solutions for Canada’s remote, northern, and Indigenous communities. Kristel’s role has been to investigate and pursue solutions to issues impacting housing, education/training, and the construction industry in northern regions. In recent years, this has included the development of the Fort Good Hope Construction Centre, where local people in a remote community will receive training and employment in the construction of new homes for their region. Other projects have included master planning for a polytechnic university with a presence across 22 northern communities, and the development of a hybrid homeownership model to be implemented at the local level by Indigenous governments.

Most recently, Kristel is leading a multi-year study on the regulatory context around housing design and construction: specifically, whether alternative housing solutions might be more appropriate for northern & remote communities than the acceptable solutions put forward by national codes. Alongside her work at TAG, Kristel is currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Design at the University of Calgary.