Revitalizing Indigenous Architecture in Rural Environments | Tierra Miller | M.Arch Thesis

Revitalizing Indigenous Architecture in Rural Environments

Tierra Miller Arizona State University Masters in Architecture Thesis Spring 2019 Advisor: Wanda Dalla Costa Instructor: Joe Pritchard ADE 622 Tierra.Miller@asu.edu

Table of Content

Thesis Statement

6

Methodology

8

Navajo Nation | Current Conditions

10

Cast Studies

16

Benally House

17

Te Kura Whare

18

Caring Wood

19

Program

20

Biophilic Design Matrix

22

Site

28

Traditional Navajo Hogan

34

Process

38

Life Cycle of the Navajo Hogan

50

Thesis Statement

6

An exploration of different design methods related to biophilic design can redefine a traditional Indigenous dwelling in rural environments, which can improve overall living and health, while still representing cultural values and traditions.

7

Methodology

Methodology

The approach to a methodology will be a combination of a western and Indigenous methodology.

The western methodology approach is more of a scientific data gathering. The data will be collected from reliable resources from journals, published dissertations and analysis. However, Ingenious people do not publically publish and share cultural traditions and beliefs. The data collected are from observations, lived experience and stories passed on.

8

Western

Non-Traditional Methods

Data + Systems

Reflection + Observation + Lived Experience + Stories + Culture

9

No Clean Water | Running Water

Navajo Nation

Current Conditions

10

Heating System

11

Water

Current Conditions | Heating Heating

89%

of Navajo families use wood or pellet stove

Asthma Respiratory Issues

40%

of Navajo families haul water everyday

67x

Navajo pay 67x more for water they haul vs. piped water

67x

Navajo are more likely than other Americans to live without running water or a toilet

Exposure to wood + coal buring stoves

Cancers

12 Source: Environmental Health Perspectives / Phase II Housing Needs Assessment + Demographics Analysis

Source: The Navajo Water Project

13

Water Sourced from Windmills

Contamination Found

Effects

Uranium

Internal Organ + Lung Cancer

E. Coli

Sickness related to Giardia (microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal illness) + Crytosporidium (parasitic alveolates that can cause a respiratory and gastrointestinal illness)

Arsenic

14 The Dine Environmental Institute at Dine College

Affects a broad range of organs + systems

Benally House

Case Studies Design Build Bluff Bluff, Utah 2007

16

The Benally House was designed for a Navajo couple in Bluff, Utah. The home is made of natural materials and corrugated steel. The home is designed to be ‘off-grid’ with sustainable design systems, such as, solar radiant heating, gabion cage Trombe wall and rammed earth retaining wall. Although the home is designed to be sustainable, the focus on the project was to incorporate the Navajo culture. A traditional Navajo home is a Hogan, which is a 6 or 8-sided open hexagon with a central hearth. The Benally House is a representation of a modern Hogan with a semi-circle structure and a traditional shade structure. The exterior fire pit is the focal point of the project with designing in respect to the Navajo Creation story. The structure of the home and shade structure point to the four sacred mountains in the Navajo Creation story.

17

Te Kura Whare

Jasmax New Zealand 2014

Te Kura Whare is community center that brings together the culture and beliefs of the Nagi Tuhaoe Tribe, while restoring the relationship of the tribe to nature. The Tekura Whare is designed to be an architectural representation of the Nagi Thaoe Tribe through the structure, material and spaces.

Caring Wood

Macdonald Wright Architects United Kingdom 2016

Caring Wood is a multi-family home designed for multiple families. It is formed in a pinwheel formation, rotating around an inner courtyard. The home consist of family living areas with communal outdoor and indoor spaces. The design utilized natural materials found in that region along with styles derived from the English country house.

The background of the design is to learn and respect the land by utilizing local materials and nature’s resources. Local trees from the Tuhoe Rohe forest were used as the columns and arches. This emulates the forest and the role trees play in life’s wellbeing. The arches run along the same direction of the Tama-nut-te-ra (sun) direction from east to west. For the Tuhaoe Tribe, the sun represents making progress each day to reach a goal and to leave the past behind. The biophilic design is to incorporate spirituality, culture and respect for nature through architecture.

18

19

-Two Family + Elders

Program | Multi-Generational Home

-Communal Spaces -Outdoor Courtyard: Ceremonial Purposes or Family Gathering Space

20

21

Biophilic Design Matrix

Created by Matthew Salenger of coLAB Studio

22

Major Biophilic Order

Direct Experience with Nature

Minor Biophilic Order

Water

Desired Benefit

• Stress Relief • Enhance Performance + Creativity • Intellectually / Emotionally Stimulating

Design Strategies

• Tie to Natural Water Systems • Fountains • Wetlands, Spouts, ect.

Water as a Blessing

23

Major Biophilic Order

Direct Experience with Nature

Minor Biophilic Order

Landscape

Desired Benefit

• Increase Comfort, Health + Productivity • Lower Stress • Higher Morale

Yucca

Major Biophilic Order

Minor Biophilic Order Sage

Desired Benefit

Natural Analogues

Material Connection with Nature

Rammed Earth

• Decrease Blood Pressure • Improve Comfort Natural Wood

Design Strategies

• Tie to Existing Healthy Ecosystems • Native Plant Types + Landscaping • Courtyards

Cedar

Greenthread 24

Design Strategies

• Accent Details with Natural Materials • Natural Materials with Texture

Sandstone 25

Major Biophilic Order

Experience of Space and Place

Minor Biophilic Order

(Sense of) Place

Desired Benefit

Community + Family

• Foster Emotional Attachment to Place • Intellectually / Emotionally Stimulating Elders

Design Strategies

• Create Coherent Ecological Experience • Integrate Features of Setting and Spaces • Sequential Linking of Spaces • Think: Cotswalds, Small Greek Towns Nature

26

Utah Colorado

Navajo Nation Round Rock

Site | Round Rock, Arizona

Round Rock, Arizona is a small community located in the north eastern region of Arizona with a population of 861 and a poverty rate of 38.3% . The community consist of an elementary school serving pre-k to 8th grade, community chapter house, senior center and out of business store. The site location is 8 miles from the elementary school and is dirt road.

Arizona

28

New Mexico

29

Site

8 Miles

2.5 Miles

.5 Miles

Site

Round Rock

Neighbors Windmill

30

31

Rock Point -Nearest Clean Water Source and Gas Station

40 Miles

15 Miles

Site

Chinle -Nearest Grocery Store

32

Traditional Navajo Hogan

The traditional dwelling of the Navajo people is the Hogan. There are different variations from a male to female Hogan, which is used for different purposes. The Hogan that has inspired this design is the female 6-sided hexagon. The female Hogan is used to raise a family and have ceremonial events, such as weddings and womanhood.

There are two diagrams that have influenced the design and I have taken aspects from each to guide the cultural representation of the Navajo people.

34

35

BIRTH EAST THINKING SHAPING THOUGHT + BEHAVIOR

Living

LIFE

MATERIALS WOOD LOGS MUD / CLAY

Equinox -Collection of Crops

SOUTH PLANNING KINAALDA

LIFE CYCLE

WOMENHOOD ENDURANCE GOOD THINKING

NATURE KNOWLEDGE ONE RECEIVES FROM THE HEAVENS MALE CEREMONIAL

WEST DOING DEATH + SPIRIT NORTH REFLECTING

FEMALE

SMOKE HOLE

RAINBOW

W

OLD AGE

LADDER TO THE HEAVENS

FORM

EAGLES NEST

CEREMONIAL LIVING SPACE 6 OR 8 SIDED POLYGON SYMMETRICAL

Summer Solstice -Time to Plant

Winter Solstice -Navajo String Game -Winter Stories

ROOF REASONING

CREATION STORY ‘FIRST HOME’ BALANCE

BLESSINGWAY

HEART

ENTRY

BLESSING

KINSHIP

Planning

FAMILY

THINKING

HEARTH

CLAN RELATION

S

N

Reflecting

BEAUTY

WALLS

SUNG AFTER CONSTRUCTION GOBERNADOR KNOB SACRIFICIAL STONES LAID DOWN IN PRAYER HUERFANO MESA WEALTH VALUE GEMSTONES PROSPERITY

MAIN POLES

FOUR SACRED MOUNTAINS

SKY

MOUNT BLANCA (WHITE) WHITE SHELL EAST MOUNT HESPERUS (BLACK) JET STONE NORTH SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS (YELLOW) ABALONE WEST MOUNT TAYLOR (BLUE) TURQUOISE SOUTH

NAVAJO NATION RESERVATION

PLACE

CULTURAL IDENTITY FOUNDATION

SOLSTICE CONSTELLATIONS EQUINOX SUN TIME

This is a diagram I created from research, knowledge I grew up with, stories, and elders. It shows the depth of knowledge and interconnectedness of the Hogan. The Hogan is the ‘First Home’ from the Navajo Creation Story and each element that makes the Navajo Hogan has a representation. The Hogan is a representation of ‘life’ and the ‘way of life’. I have selected aspects to

36

represent in the design paired with biophilia.

E

Thinking This sky science diagram by Dr. Henry Fowler from Navajo Technical University tells the story of the form of the Hogan based on constellations, solstice and equinox. The East is the cardinal direction and the doorway always faces east to greet the morning sun. From this opening the solstice and equinox shine on the back wall as a sense of time for seasons and actions that need to be taken.

37

3

4

2

Process

5

1

1 38

2

3

4

5 39

Mass

Mass

Void

Void

Secondary Mass

Secondary Mass

Biophilic Order Direct Experience with Nature | Landscape

40

41

Outdoor Area

Family Living

Mass

Void

Kitchen

Dining

Outdoor Area

Secondary Mass

Outdoor Seating

Family Living

Storage Elder Living

Living Area

Patio

Outdoor Area

42

43

Outdoor Area

Family Living

Kitchen Summer Solstice

E

E

Dining

Outdoor Area Outdoor Seating

Family Living

Storage Elder Living

Patio

Living Area

Equinox

Winter Solstice

Outdoor Area

44

45

E

Rain water collected from the roof and stored in a cistern that will then be resourced back into the home.

46

E

Rain water collected from the extruding masses and used to water vegetation in the central atrium.

Living Equinox -Collection of Crops

W

Summer Solstice -Time to Plant

Life Cycle of the Navajo Hogan

Planning

Winter Solstice -Navajo String Game -Winter Stories

S

N

Reecting

The East is the main entry; it greet the morning sun. It is the starting point in life and the entry into the Hogan. We travel clockwise in the Hogan. Starting at the East (Thinking) moving to the South (Planning), West (Living), and North (Reflecting). The solstice and equinox is a sense of time and the actions that need to be taken.

E

Thinking 50

51

Thinking The East greets the morning sun. It is the representation of the main entry, the start of the day and a new beginning. It represents ‘Thinking’. Thinking about the year and new beginnings. A time to think about life and what life can bring.

52

53

54

Planning | Summer Solstice

Living | Equinox

The South is ‘Planning’. Planning on your action.

Which is indicated by the summer solstice.

West is ‘Living’. It is the time to live what you have thought and planned about, indicated by the equinox.

55

56

Winter Solstice

Reflection

Winter Solstice indicates the time for winter stories and ceremonies.

North is ‘Reflecting’, reflecting on what was thought, planned, lived through the time cycle of the Navajo Hogan.

57

It is a place of Hozho Meaning beauty, balance and harmony. It is a term that defines the Navajo Way of Life that encourages us to go in beauty and to enjoy the gifts of life, nature and health.

58

59

“Place links present with past and our personal self with kinship groups. What we know flows through us from the ‘echo of generations,’ and our knowledge cannot be universalized because they arise from our experience with our places.”

-Margaret Kovach, Indigenous Methodology Plains Cree and Saulteaux Ancestry Member of the Pasqua First Nation

60

61