Continuous consultation with Parks Canada staff and Indigenous communities shaped both program and expression. Inspired by the Paper Birch, a tree sacred to the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Nation — whose unceded land the project is built upon — the architecture reflects its rich history as an archival medium to record the narratives of the Algonquin people. The building integrates into the surrounding natural landscape, providing favourable habitats for local wildlife and insects with native vegetation.

On the exterior, collection areas are clad in white precast with gentle angled fluting to suggest a birch forest, while the office block features terracotta cladding in golden yellow, recalling autumnal birch trees. Interior office spaces are filled with daylight to create pleasant work areas for collaboration.