Moscow, Idaho
Before the people came.
The shift from empathy words to design action on land grant University campuses.
The shift from empathy words to design action on land grant University campuses.
Machines of acknowledgement for the Nimiipuu Nez Percé Community - Through a process of continuous iteration and improvisation, students evaluate the impact of their projected designs on campus. Students were encouraged to practice flexibility towards the design by keeping an open-ended form expectation throughout the process. Students in this project learned how history is structured and presented over the years. Starting with collage making, students defined a narrative of archival for the Nimiipuu Nez Percé community. The project is divided into four scales: the city as the place of Indigenous land, the territory as the boundary of space of acknowledgment, the landscape as the context of settlements built on the land, and the idea as the purpose of cognizance in preserving cultures. The main question the project addresses spaces of belonging for the Nez Percé tribe on our land-grant campus, The university of Idaho.
A Space of Acknowledgement was for ARCH 254, instructor Hala Barakat.
Completed 4/1/2024.
At the end of the century, approximately 90% of languages are expected to become extinct. When a language is lost, humanity loses wisdom, environment, art, and culture. Language is incredibly important to Native American culture and how they describe themselves. Their language is so distinct that a single syllable can represent 10,000 years of history. When people converse to one another, they transfer and share language. For my project, I choose to embrace and create space for people to interact with one another and share their experiences.
I chose this location because I appreciated how close it is to the arboretum, and I wanted to incorporate the connection to nature. My place transitions from public to private, with an amphitheater at the front for visitors to see ceremonies, traditions, and events. Then proceeds to an interior location that serves as a gathering place. The concept behind this area is to include a kitchenette where people may share meals and simply speak with one another. Then it moves into a more secluded, quieter library and reflection room. People can then read about and ponder on the natural world around them. Using your mind, body, emotion, and spirit, you can connect with nature and yourself in ways similar to indigenous ways of thinking.
My purpose for this project is to provide and create a platform where people may discover and share their identity and culture with others, as this is how traditions and cultures are passed down and preserved.
