Building community in Chefornak: constructing a new school in the village.

• Author: Seely, Nichelle
• Position: Special section: Building Alaska

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One hundred miles west of Bethel, tucked into a meandering curve of the Kuskokwim River and surrounded by rolling tundra plains is the village of Chefornak.

It's been a hard winter. Snow drifts as tall as the houses themselves hunch on the leeward side of every structure. The new school--the bottom of which used to be at the level of my head--is now at the level of my knees. It's a striking indication of how deep the snow is.

"I've almost forgotten we're in the building business," jokes Gideon Mahoney, foreman for Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation Construction. "Seems like we spend half our time pushing snow around."

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The school is the reason I'm here. The calendar says it's early March, but ground conditions seem more like late January. The weather is cold and unpredictable. I've already wasted hours in the Bethel airport, waiting for a window in the blizzard to catch the flight to Chefornak. I'm the architect in charge of construction administration for Bezek Durst Seiser Architects and Planners, the firm which designed this new combined Amaqigciq Elementary/Caputnguaq High School. With me is Kate McIntyre, project manager for the Lower Kuskokwim School District. The project is a combination addition and renovation, and the first phase is finished. We've come to inspect the addition, slightly larger than the existing school. It contains 10 new classrooms, a new main entry, and best of all (as far as the village is concerned), a brand new full-size gymnasium.

A Building's Destiny

It might be hard to imagine for someone who has never visited rural Alaska, but this building is destined to be the life and center of the village of Chefornak. It's the biggest structure by far in this little town of 418 people. The long-anticipated gymnasium will be much more than a sports arena (although that's a big deal in a community where basketball is king and almost everyone plays or cheers on the sidelines). Weddings, funerals, and cultural events will be hosted here, the one location where the whole town can be contained. There's a pull-down screen for movies, and a retractable stage for shows. The building is as flexible and accommodating as BDS could make it, just like the people who call the far reaches of Alaska their permanent home.

Remote Construction

Construction isn't easy in the sprawling, roadless portions of the state. Chefornak has a tiny airport with a gravel strip and a barge landing barely large...