BEST PRACTICES IN TRIBAL HOUSING: 

CASE STUDIES 2013

A REPORT BY THE SUSTAINABLE NATIVE COMMUNITIES COLLABORATIVE, 

AN INITIATIVE OF ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | Office of Policy Development and Research
Visit PD&R’s website

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accessing the information you need.
BEST PRACTICES IN TRIBAL HOUSING: 

CASE STUDIES 2013

A REPORT BY THE SUSTAINABLE NATIVE COMMUNITIES COLLABORATIVE, 

AN INITIATIVE OF ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Prepared for: 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

Office of Policy Development & Research (PD&R)

Prepared by:

Jamie Blosser, Atkin Olshin Schade Architects 

Nathaniel Corum, Architecture for Humanity

Daniel Glenn, 7 Directions Architects/Planners

Joseph Kunkel, Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow

Ed Rosenthal, Enterprise Community Partners Rural and Native American Initiative (RNAI)

October 2014

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative

Enterprise Community Partners is a leading provider of the development capital and expertise it takes to create 

decent, affordable homes and rebuild communities. For nearly 30 years, Enterprise has introduced neighborhood 

solutions through public-private partnerships with financial institutions, governments, community organizations and 

others that share our vision. Enterprise has raised and invested $10.6 billion in equity, grants and loans to help build 

or preserve more than 270,000 affordable rental and for-sale homes to create vital communities.

The Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative (SNCC), an Enterprise Community Partners initiative, is a group 

of architects, community designers, development leaders, and sustainability advocates committed to affordable and 

healthy housing in Native American communities. The SNCC grew from tribal housing experience and a collective 

belief that each community must determine its own path toward sustainability. We listen to the vision and goals of 

tribal leaders, planners, and housing providers to help understand the challenges and opportunities facing tribes in 

providing environmentally responsible and culturally appropriate housing for their community members. 

Case Studies 2013 is made possible by generous support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), support from Enterprise Community Partners, and 

the generous donation of time from our Collaborative volunteers. 

Thank you to all the case study teams participating in the CASE STUDIES 2013, and special thanks to:

Jamie Blosser, Founder, Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative (SNCC); Associate, Atkin Olshin Schade 

Architects

Nathaniel Corum, SNCC; Architect, Head of Education Outreach, Architecture for Humanity

Raymond Demers, Enterprise Green Communities

Daniel Glenn, SNCC; Principal, 7 Directions Architects/Planners

Russell Kaney, Director of Programs, Rural and Native American Initiative, Enterprise Community Partners

Joseph Kunkel, SNCC; Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow, Santo Domingo Housing Authority

Ed Rosenthal, Vice President, Rural and Native American Initiative, Enterprise Community Partners

Katie Swenson, Vice President, Design Initiatives, Enterprise Community Partners

Atkin Olshin Schade Architects

Adventure Pictures

ANAGR.AM

The contents of this report are the views of the contractor and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the U.S. government. 
FOREWORD

Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development presents this report on 17 projects that highlight a variety of unique 

features of sustainable construction within Native American settings. When sustainable housing is implemented within Native 

American communities, the result can be healthier, more energy-efficient, and climatically appropriate housing stock that often 

incorporates strong cultural and historic tribal design elements. 

The 17 projects featured in this effort from HUD’s Sustainable Construction in Indian Country initiative exemplify this emerging 

transformation in tribal housing. They not only employ sustainable technologies and materials—low-flow plumbing fixtures, photovoltaic panels, structurally insulated panels, stormwater retention, and clustered housing plans—but also establish abiding connections to heritage, culture, and the natural world. 

The best practices that emerge from these case studies point to innovative ways that tribal housing providers are using housing 

improvement, including green housing, to overcome challenges related to funding, infrastructure capacity, loss of cultural traditions, 

and economic development. Many project teams featured in the report approached housing development holistically—incorporating 

meaningful community engagement during the design process, reaching out to establish partnerships and collaborations that later 

proved critical to project success, and solving complex challenges ranging from site planning to financing and tribal employment. 

There is a cautionary tale to be told as well. Early adopters of sustainable building practices or builders reintroducing much older 

cultural approaches to home construction take on a certain level of risk that must be balanced with thorough pre-construction 

planning, meticulous construction, and post-construction monitoring and maintenance. 

It is our hope that, by disseminating these case studies, more tribal communities will be encouraged to create their own culturally 

appropriate and environmentally responsible housing. These fine examples set by the tribes and their partners demonstrate what 

is possible when cultural traditions are honored while being interwoven with modern, sustainable design and construction strategies that look to the future. 

 Katherine O’Regan, Ph.D.

Assistant Secretary for 

 Policy Development and Research

iv Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 v

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative

Executive Summary

Case Study Locations | Map

Best Practices | Design

Devine Legacy | Native American Connections

Kumuhau Subdivision | Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

Passamaquoddy Tribe | Kikunol Housing

Coeur d’Alene Tribe | The Gathering Place

Best Practices | Site

Arizona State University Stardust Center | Nageezi House | Navajo

Port Gamble S’Klallam Nation | Teekalet Village

Pinoleville Pomo Nation | Pinoleville Pomo Nation Homes

Penobscot Indian Nation | Penobscot LEED Homes

Mescalero Apache Tribe | I-Sah’-Din’-Dii, Phase I

Northern Cheyenne Nation | Straw Bale Homes

Best Practices | Innovation

Best Practices | Culture

Navajo Nation | NHA Planning Manual

Pascua Yaqui Tribe | Guadalupe House

Apsáalooke (Crow) Tribe | Awe’-Itche Ashe, Good Earth Lodges

Puyallup Tribe | Place of Hidden Waters

Ysleta del Sur Pueblo | LIHTC Pueblo Homes

Ohkay Owingeh | Owe’neh Bupingeh Rehabilitation Project Indigenous Community 

Enterprises | Elder Hooghan Homes Initiative | Navajo

Best Practices | Green

Best Practices | Impact

Research Team

vii

viii

1

2

6

10

12

13

14

16

20

22

26

28

30

31

32

36

38

42

46

48

52

54

55

56

Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 vii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative

It is with great enthusiasm that we present the exemplary tribal housing documented here, as part of the Case 

Studies 2013 project by the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative. These case studies are foundational 

to our multiyear effort to research and share the exciting work that tribes are undertaking across the country. 

The 17 projects featured are not intended to represent all of the green building occurring across Indian Country, 

but rather to exemplify an emerging transformation in tribal housing. Once again, tribal housing projects are 

increasingly connected to heritage, culture, and nature. 

Many best practices are emerging from this research, helping to clarify the innovative ways that tribal housing 

providers are overcoming challenges including funding, infrastructure capacity, loss of cultural traditions, and 

economic development. In particular, many featured teams approached housing development in a holistic 

manner—incorporating meaningful community engagement during the design process, reaching out to establish 

partnerships and collaborations that later proved critical for success, and solving complex challenges, from site 

planning to financing and tribal employment. Four of these projects were documented through video to better tell 

their stories.

These 17 projects, selected from a group of diverse projects nationwide, are all recently built works with the 

exception of one long-term sustainable housing plan. They were reviewed for their replicability and applicability 

to other communities, and for their expression of green building features, community engagement processes, 

design excellence, cultural sensitivity, and for addressing broader community needs, such as training and 

employment. The projects were selected to show a range of project types, including rental and homeownership 

projects; and multifamily, single-family, and prototype demonstration projects. Importantly, each project 

was reviewed for its comprehensive approach and its potential to educate and inspire other communities. A 

breakdown of the projects is shown below.

The projects showcased here demonstrate that high-quality housing from within tribal communities can be 

a catalytic force—providing hope and strength in sometimes desperate conditions. It is hoped that through 

the dissemination of this case study research, technical assistance collaborations, and funding focused on 

sustainable construction, more tribal communities will gain access to the means of creating their own culturally 

appropriate and environmentally responsible housing. This Case Study 2013 research exists with the support of 

the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Policy Development and Research Office (PD&R), through 

the Sustainable Construction in Indian Country Small Grant Program.

347 HOMES 38% MULTIFAMILY

56% HOMEOWNERSHIP 44% SINGLE FAMILY

44% RENTAL 18% DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

40% TRAINING IMPLEMENTED PROGRAMS 25% LIHTC PROJECT

38% TRAINING EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS $142 AVERAGE COST PER SF
viii Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

SUSTAINABLE NATIVE COMMUNITIES COLLABORATIVE

Hawaii

Not to scale

Crow Agency, MT

Good Earth Lodges

Apsáalooke (Crow) Tribe

Ohkay Owingeh, NM

Owe’neh Bupingeh

Ohkay Owingeh

Phoenix, AZ

Devine Legacy

Kingston, WA

Teekalet Village

Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe

Nageezi, NM

Nageezi House

Navajo Nation

El Paso, TX

Ysleta del Sur LIHTC Homes

Ysleta del Sur Pueblo 

Lame Deer, MT

Northern Cheyenne 

LEED Homes

Northern Cheyenne Tribe 

Ukiah, CA

Pinoleville Pomo 

Nation Homes

Pinoleville Pomo Nation

Plummer, ID

The Gathering Place

Coeur d'Alene Tribe

Mescalero, NM

I-Sah’-Din’-Dii

Mescalero Apache Tribe

Guadalupe, AZ

Guadalupe House

Pascua Yaqui Tribe 

Tacoma, WA

Place of Hidden Waters

Puyallup Tribe of Indians 

Navajo Nation 

Elder Hooghan Homes 

Navajo Nation

Navajo Nation NHA Panning Manual

Navajo Nation

Lame Deer, MT

25 Green Homes Project

Rosebud, SD 

Five Sustainable Sioux Houses

Pine Ridge, SD Sustainable Planning 

Coos Bay, OR

Qaxas Heights

Cowlitz, WA

Inchelium Community Housing Port Angeles, WA

Lower Elwha Klallam 

Energy Homes

Bellingham, WA

Lummi Community Homes 

Neah Bay, WA Makah Supportive Homes

Hotevilla-Bacavi, AZ

Hopi Nation Straw Bale Homes

Whiteriver, AZ

New and Rehab Project

Camp Verde, AZ Yavapai-Apache Homes

Valley Center, CA San Pasqual Cultural Residences

Bishop, CA Coyote Mountain Apartments

Klamath, CA

Yurok Senior 

Housing

Isleta Pueblo, NM

Pueblo Homes

Zuni Pueblo, NM

Clustered Homes

Yerington, NV Paiute Senior 

Duplexes

Alaska 

Not to scale

Anaktuvuk, AK

Anaktuvuk Pass 

Prototypes

Haines, AK

Chilkoot Estates 

Subdivision

Quinhagak, AK Sustainable 

Northern Shelter 

Quinhagak House

Waimanalo, HI

Kumuhau Subdivision

Native Hawaiians 
CASE STUDY LOCATIONS 

Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 ix

Indian Island, ME

Penobscot LEED Homes 

Penobscot Indian Nation

Pleasant Point, ME

Kikunol Housing

Passamaquoddy Tribe

SNCC Case Study 2013 locations

Reservation boundaries

American Indian populations

Tribal green projects 

Petoskey, MI

Mtigwaakiis

Fulton, MI

Mishkoswen Road 

Housing Development 

Dowagiac, MI

Pokagonek Edawat

Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Sault Ste. 

Marie Housing Retrofit

Duluth, MN

Fond du Lac Supportive 

Housing

Lower Red Lake, MN

Red Lake Supportive Housing

White Earth, MN

Dream Catcher 

Homes Project

Choctaw, MS

Tiak Chitto Subdivision Pembroke, NC

Lumbee Home Designs

Hogansburg, NY

St. Regis Mohawk

Housing

Keshena, WI

Menominee Housing

Crandon, WI

Sokaogon Chippewa 

Housing

Marksville, LA

Tunica Biloxi Homes
1 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

BEST PRACTICES | DESIGN

How does the community help to guide 

the design?

Solar

Envelope

Food

Cultural 

FormDESIGN

Good design is the cornerstone of the highlighted projects presented here. They bear witness to a transformation of tribal housing 

around the country through community engagement, innovative thinking, thoughtful design, creative financing, partnership-building, and a connection to heritage, culture, and nature. Because many of them have incorporated various checklists, rating systems, 

internal reviews, and building commissioning through the green building process, their design and construction have been tested 

for appropriateness and durability. For instance, tight building envelopes, properly installed flashing so water sheds properly, appropriate R-values based on the climate, and properly sized and installed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Many 

of these projects incorporated a dialogue with the community to discuss specific family, cultural, and heritage needs that housing 

can and should address. The most successful projects involved a high level of collaboration among many different partners, including housing authorities, architects and engineers, community members, tribal leaders, funding agencies, and contractors. This type 

of collaborative effort, known as “integrated design,” ensures that long-term goals and the project vision are established collectively at the onset and can be tested through many lenses. This effort results in more thoughtfully designed and built projects, 

which typically have fewer change orders during construction. Because of the integrated design approach, each project is uniquely 

realized and built specifically for its community and place. For example, it is clear from the photographs that the Kumuhau Subdivision is in Hawaii, the Place of Hidden Waters is in the Northwest, the Guadalupe and Nageezi homes are located in the Southwest 

desert, and the Ysleta del Sur and Owe’neh Bupingeh homes are in Pueblo communities. Many of these projects are also beautiful, 

serving as beacons of community hope and pride. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 2

Phoenix, AZ NATIVE AMERICAN CONNECTIONS  | DEVINE LEGACY

SEPT 2009 JAN 2012

Concept design/visioning2007

Received LIHTC allocation Converted permanent loan Development plan approved

OCT 2008

Closed on financingAUG 2010

Construction completeNOV 2011

Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona

Client/Developer: Native American Connections Syndicator: National Equity Fund

Architect: Perlman Architects of Arizona Financing Partners: City of Phoenix, Arizona Department of Housing, 

Design Architect: Pyatok Architects Federal Home Loan Bank, U.S. Department of Housing 

Contractor: Adolfson & Peterson Construction and Urban Development

Partners: Arizona State University Stardust Center, Daniel Glenn

COMMUNITY ACCESS 

Southwest

Multifamily

Ventilation Gathering Density Proximity

CREATING ACCESS 

IMPACT

UNIT TYPE VARIETY 

DESIGN

TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT

SITE

H2O MANAGEMENT

INNOVATION

SOUTHWEST VERNACULAR

CULTURE

LEED PLATINUM

GREEN

Devine Legacy is a mixed-income, transit-oriented development along 

the north-south light-rail line of central Phoenix. Developed by Native 

American Connections, a nonprofit corporation to serve the urban Indian 

population of Phoenix, it contains seven different unit types, including 

townhomes, lofts, and flats, with no differentiation between the 90 percent affordable and 10 percent market-rate units. The site is strategically 

located for residents to gain access to work and school, with a light-rail 

station located one-half block away and downtown less than 3 miles to the 

south. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Transit-oriented, high-density design makes 

it easier to live affordably without having to 

own a car. 

•Cultural elements were designed to be 

somewhat universal, because families from 

many different traditions live here. 

•Excellent outdoor common spaces are 

important with high-density living.

BEST PRACTICES

•Transit-oriented development can be a focus 

for the needs of urban Indians.

•Access to an outdoor community space 

formed a cohesive traditional atmosphere.

•LEED certification was a top priority.

•The project is directly adjacent to many 

health and social services to meet the needs 

of working families.

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$13.7M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$11.1M

PER SQ FOOT:

$145

COST PER UNIT: 

VARIES: $160,000 AVG.

TOTAL UNITS:

65

Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona

Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona
3 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

DEVINE LEGACY 

CONTEXT

This affordable housing community was the first to open along the Phoenix Metro light-rail line at the Campbell & Central Light 

Rail Station. Native American Connections developed the site selected for the project, which included a blighted building that had 

been vacant since 2006 and posed a threat to the neighborhood for loitering, vandalism, and graffiti, and which caused concerns 

of increased crime at other neighborhood properties. The redevelopment of the project site remedied all these issues. The project 

contains a wide range of housing types, including townhomes, lofts, and flats, with 90 percent affordable and 10 percent marketrate units. The site is strategically located for residents to gain access to work and school, with a light-rail station located one half 

block away and downtown less than 3 miles to the south. The city’s main public high school is located directly across the street 

from the development. The building just to the development’s south contains the offices of the developer and the many social 

services, health, and cultural organizations that cater to the needs of Native Americans in Phoenix.

SITE

The primary site feature is the courtyard on the second level 

that is open to the sky. The courtyard provides a protected 

common space for tenants and is a contextual element of 

the Southwest vernacular. It has a playground for children 

and sitting areas for adults. Common barbecue grills are 

in the courtyard and at outdoor common areas on each 

floor. Parking, which was reduced because of access to the 

adjacent rail line, is provided in a parking garage at the 

ground floor, along with bicycle racks. A new community 

room on the property, which faces the street, is designed for 

many purposes, including a meeting space for the residents’ 

association, tutoring, training classes, and family events.

Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona

Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 4

DEVINE LEGACY 

DESIGN

This mixed-income housing project was designed as 

a culturally appropriate urban Indian community. The 

project’s design excellence was a top priority of Native 

American Connections. To effectively accomplish its 

goals, the developer decided it was necessary to engage 

in the design process. Arizona State University Stardust 

and Pyatok Associates worked with the project team at 

the onset to provide design visioning and cultural insights. 

The result is a contemporary southwestern vernacular 

building that embodies the project’s highest priorities, 

including a high-density, transit-oriented development 

program, comfortable outdoor communal space, high 

green performance standards, and cultural design 

elements. 

Because one size does not fit all, the development has 

a variety of unit types—seven total. To effectively blend 

market-rate units with affordable housing units, the 

project team realized that some market-rate amenities 

must be made available to everyone, such as high ceilings 

and an urban “loft” look for some of the units. The 

two-story apartments, with double-height living spaces, 

have vertical stack ventilation, reducing dependence 

on air conditioning during the transitional seasons. The 

courtyard open to the east and west acts as a breezeway, 

bringing air through the building mass.

GREEN

The sustainable, affordable housing development is a 

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for 

Homes Multifamily Platinum project, making it the most 

sustainable housing community in Arizona. The project team’s 

initial goal was to achieve LEED Silver certification. After 

completion of the energy modeling and consultation with 

the LEED for Homes provider, the team decided to try for 

Gold certification. As the project progressed, even Platinum 

certification became a possibility. The entire project team 

worked during the process to incorporate additional green 

measures. 

As a result, the project achieved 26 percent energy savings 

and diverted 58 percent of its construction waste from the 

landfill. ENERGY STAR appliances were installed; all HVAC 

equipment is high efficiency, and no HCFC refrigerants were 

used. Wall insulation is higher than required by code in the 

Phoenix area, and windows have U-values of 0.42 and a solar 

heat gain coefficient of 0.32. All plumbing fixtures are low 

flow. The project received exemplary LEED points because of 

the close proximity to light-rail, which allows for 373 riders per 

day. These design solutions allow for a significant reduction in 

the challenging southern Arizona climate.

Drawing courtesy of Pueblo Grande Museum Archeological Park Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona CULTURE

The project was oriented toward Native American working families in Phoenix, and the design is based on the culture of the ancient 

Hohokam, who were one of the original people of the Phoenix Valley and lived in compact, pueblo-style, earthen, multistory 

structures. There are numerous health and social services provided in the Native American Connections building just next door, 

which is important to the families living here. The development team hosted focus groups through architectural programming 

sessions on unit amenities, features, and design. Eco-traditional designs such as east-facing entrance, courtyard, and gathering 

spaces for residents, perform to provide effective cross ventilation and bring in eastern light. Units were designed with open 

kitchen and living environments for family gatherings. The project has become part of a larger Native American community center 

for the surrounding urban area. 
5 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

DEVINE LEGACY 

INNOVATION

Started as a vision five years ago, Devine Legacy, located 

on Central, is the first mixed-income transit-oriented 

development (TOD) housing community to open along the 

Phoenix Metro light-rail line.

FINANCING

Trying to secure funding for the project in late 2009 and 

early 2010 was very challenging in the capital markets. A 

great deal of patience and time was spent with each funding source to address any concerns regarding the financial viability of the project given the economic climate of 

that time. After completion of the project, in 2011, Native 

American Connections converted its permanent financing 

in the fall of 2012.

A/E/survey

5%

Attorney

fees

1%

Acquisition

7%

Furnishings

1%

Loan costs

2%

Reserves

2%

Site 

improvements 

9%

Building 

construction

73%

Project cost breakdown LESSONS LEARNED/CONCLUSION

The project takes advantage of the benefits of a very urban location to meet the transit and 

supportive services needs of urban Indians in Phoenix. The transit-oriented, high-density design 

makes it easier for working families to live affordably without having to own a car—a significant 

paradigm shift in a very car-oriented, western city. Through the design process and community 

meetings, the project team realized that any cultural design elements incorporated into the 

project would need to be somewhat universal, because families from many different traditions 

would be living in the community here. In addition, it was determined that, because of the high 

density of the project, excellent outdoor common space areas designed to be comfortable in 

all seasons were critical. The development team’s green design objectives were clear from 

the outset, but it was not originally anticipated that the project would obtain LEED Platinum 

certification, which was met because of the comprehensive approach to all site and building 

elements. 

Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona

Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona

Photo: Perlman Architects of Arizona
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 6

Waimanalo, HI DEPT. OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS  | KUMUHAU SUBDIVISION

JUNE 2010 JULY 2010 JAN-JUNE 2011

Sitework and designOCT 2007

Site construction complete Start construction Closing on homes and move-in Site construction starts 

JUNE 2008

Design and builder selected OCT 2009

Client/Developer Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Sustainability Consultant: Green Sand, Inc. 

Architect: Armstrong Design, LTD HERS Rater: Green Building, LLC

Contractor: Armstrong Builders, LLC Landscape Architect: PBR Hawaii

Engineers: BASE + Akinaka Associates Other Partners: HUD, USDA Rural Development, Veterans Affairs, 

FHA, Home Street Bank, Office of Hawaiian Affairs

CLIMATE-RESPONSIVE

Pacific Islands

Single Family

Solar Density Replicable Air Quality

MODEL HOMES

IMPACT

CLIMATE RESPONSIVE

“COUNTRY” DENSITY

SITE

EXPANDABLE

INNOVATION

OUTDOOR LIVING

CULTURE

LEED GOLD

GREEN

The Kumuhau Subdivision provided eco-friendly and climate-responsive home ownership opportunities to 45 Native Hawaiian families in 

Waimanalo, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. After developing the site, the 

Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) competitively selected 

Armstrong Development to design and build the project. The climateresponsive and cost-effective designs include social elements, such 

as carports that act as outdoor shaded rooms and considerations for 

future expansion. The homes were so popular and demand so great 

that all the homes were sold in one day. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Site planning and home design may be more 

cost effective when integrated.

•Well-designed homes that also reduce 

energy costs to homeowners will be in high 

demand, even during a recession.

•Proper ventilation, shading, and site 

orientation can mitigate the need for 

mechanical cooling in a tropical climate. 

BEST PRACTICES

•Outdoor living features provide a connection 

to the outdoors and a sense of community.

•An innovative approach to high wind code 

requirements reduced costs by providing 

bracing for storm events.

•A comprehensive approach to design and 

building provides multiple benefits: comfort, 

flexibility, long-term durability, and reduction 

in costs to the residents.

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$19.9M*

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$13.4M

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$180

COST PER UNIT: 

$213,000 - $311,000 

TOTAL UNITS:

45

*Includes site construction costs 

Photo: David Franzen
7 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

KUMUHAU SUBDIVISION

21st Century Ahupua’a, Waimanalo

Waimanalo Bay State Recreation Area

Ahupua’a

CONTEXT

The project is located approximately 1 mile from the 

eastern, windward coast of Oahu and the Waimanalo Bay 

State Recreation Area. Only 15 miles and a 30-minute 

drive from Honolulu, Waimanalo has one of the highest 

concentrations of Native Hawaiians on Oahu—almost 

25 percent of the town is made up of Pacific Islanders. 

Waimanalo means “potable water,” apparently named for 

the many ponds in the area and its agricultural history. 

Today, there is an interest to revitalize Waimanalo’s 

agricultural traditions through projects such as the 21st 

Century Ahupua’a.

AHUPUA’A

K—anewai, or the “rule of the water,” helped to inform the 

development of the covenants, codes, and restrictions for 

Kumuhau’s homeowner association. Kanewai is also the 

basis of the ahupua’a, which is the traditional Hawaiian 

land ownership and management system. The ahupua’a 

extends from the mountaintop to the coral reefs in the 

sea, with specific rights and responsibilities for everyone 

helping to sustainably manage this very interrelated 

ecosystem. The ahupua’a system in Hawaii was mostly 

destroyed by modern development and economic systems. However, today there is an interest to reactivate the 

concept as a local form of sustainability, and the town of 

Waimanalo is on the forefront of this with the 21st Century Ahupua’a, including the Living Laboratory and Sweet 

Home Waimanalo Market Cafe. It is hoped that future 

housing development in Waimanalo ties into the exciting 

sustainability work and reinvigoration of agriculture by 

local groups. 

Photo: SNCC

Painting by Marilyn Kahalewae

Photo: SNCC

Drawing: Armstrong Design, LTD

CULTURE

The homes were designed to evoke the colorful plantation 

style homes of Hawaii, with both one- and two-story homes. 

Careful attention was paid to a connection between the 

indoor and outdoor and to taking advantage of the temperate 

Hawaiian climate to allow for more outdoor living. Each home 

has a “lanai,” or veranda, and the parking was designed so 

that two cars can fit in the driveway, allowing the carport to 

be used as an outdoor living room. Each carport has a screen, 

providing extra privacy between neighbors. 

The homes were also designed to be easily expandable, an 

important consideration, given that many Native Hawaiian 

families are large. Extra plumbing stub outs allow for eventual 

build-out of an additional bathroom and bedroom. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 8

KUMUHAU SUBDIVISION

GREEN

Electricity in Hawaii is extremely expensive, at more than 

25 cents per kilowatt hour. The many green features are 

therefore specifically targeted to resident health and energy 

efficiency. The homes have solar hot water, net-metered 

2.5kW photovoltaic (PV) panels, low-emittance window 

glazing, above-code wall insulation, compact fluorescent 

lightbulbs, and “solar clothes dryers” (otherwise known as 

outdoor clotheslines). The homeowners received both federal 

and state tax credits totaling 65 percent of installed cost for 

the PV and solar hot water systems, and many report they 

now pay only the minimum $16.85 monthly electrical hookup 

fees.

2 Bedrooms | 1 Story | Axonometric Floor Plan

Drawing: Armstrong Design, LTD

N

Photo: SNCC

Photovoltaic and 

solar hot water 

panels are on the 

carport roof. The 

carport is prewired for electric 

vehicles.

Overhead storage 

for plywood storm 

window panels.

Drives are longer so 

that carport can act 

as outdoor living area.

Each home has a clothesline, 

space for a garden, and a compost 

area. 

A plumbing “stub 

out” and site design 

allows for a future 

second bathroom 

and additional 

bedroom.

Centralized whole-house fans ensure 

excellent ventilation and reduce the need 

for air conditioning.

Carport is screened 

for additional privacy.

Reflective metal roofing 

reduces heat gain inside 

home.

Outdoor “lanai” and 

space for shoes.

48” overhang is for 

afternoon shade. Louvered 

windows aid air 

circulation.

Low- and no-VOC 

paints, Green 

Label carpet, 

and marmoleum 

flooring improve 

indoor air quality.

Kohila fan closed Kohila fan open

GREEN

The homes were designed to be LEED Silver under the LEED 

for Homes rating system but have since achieved LEED 

Gold certification. The homes were designed to be energy 

efficient, with a tight building envelope, good air circulation, 

and ventilation. The homes feature a whole-house Airscape 

fan, which was customized to be much quieter by making 

changes to the motor and location and is now called the 

Kohila fan, which means “gentle breeze.” It is located centrally 

in each home and sits on the roof. In addition to the home 

having a whole-house fan, each bedroom and bathroom have 

Whispergreen exhaust fans, which are very quiet. 
9 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

KUMUHAU SUBDIVISION

INNOVATION

Because this was a design/build process, the design was 

tested against costs at every step along the way. This 

allowed for innovative measures to be incorporated, such 

as the solution to the high wind design load requirement 

per building code. Instead of stiffening the entire house 

frame at the exterior walls or installing expensive storm 

windows, Armstrong designed custom, predrilled plywood 

panels that can be easily installed over the windows 

before a large storm event, when the high winds occur, 

that serve to stiffen the entire frame of each home. The 

plywood panels are stored in custom-made racks located 

overhead in each carport. 

IMPACT

More than 55 percent of Native Hawaiians pay more than 30 

percent of their income for housing, and only 57 percent own 

their homes. The cost of living in Hawaii is very expensive 

and Native Hawaiians do not have the same access to tribal 

trust land as many tribes on the mainland, requiring them to 

qualify for conventional mortgages or wait to be assigned a 

home through the DHHL wait list. In order to qualify, families 

must have at least 50 percent blood quantum, must qualify 

for a mortgage, and then may eventually receive a home 

based on a lottery system. 

DHHL recognizes the dire need for more high quality housing and is developing property throughout Hawaii. DHHL 

began developing the Waimanalo site before hiring Armstrong 

through a competitive bid process. Armstrong won the bid 

in part because of their commitment to LEED certification. 

Armstrong acted as the designer and builder. Armstrong and 

DHHL worked with Home Street Bank to help interested Native Hawaiian families qualify for home mortgages. Because of 

the green design features, the hard work of families to qualify 

for mortgages, and the need for housing, the homes all sold 

within one day.

LESSONS LEARNED

This process helped to demonstrate that affordable housing can be cost-effectively built to 

LEED standards and can have a high market demand even in a difficult economic recession. It 

has also helped to modify DHHL’s development process, so that with new projects, site planning 

occurs simultaneously with building design. This helps to avoid coordination pitfalls. There are 

also exciting new partnerships to ensure that future projects are developed in an integrated 

and sustainable manner and that they are climatically and culturally appropriate. Recently, the 

Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which is focused on reducing the amount that Native Hawaiians pay 

for housing and on increasing home ownership, partnered with DHHL to help pay for infrastructure costs through paying the debt service on $90 million of DHHL bonds. These critical 

partnerships, along with the success of the Kumuhau Subdivision, are leading to exciting new 

projects including new homes in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii and on the island of Maui. 

Photo: David Franzen

Photo: Yumeko Tochiko

Left-to-right: Kahu Kordell, Anita Seyer-Wong, and Daniel 

Sandomire

I have seen the aloha from the many 

people....I have met through this 

process, how much care and pride they 

have in their work. That is important 

to me as a Hawaiian, because it has 

always been about partnership and 

those that come to provide helping 

hands and their hands mana’o. So this 

house represents me everything as a 

Hawaiian, and it’s beautiful, beautiful, 

beautiful. - Raenani, Laiopus homeowner
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 10

Pleasant Point, ME PASSAMAQUODDY  | KIKUNOL HOUSING

Drawing: Design Group Collaborative

Client: Pleasant Point Housing Authority Project Engineer: James W. Sewall Company 

Developer: Passamaquoddy Tribal Government Project Engineer: Hedefine Engineering & Design 

Architect: Design Group Collaborative Development Partner: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

Contractor: Blaine Casey Contractor and Coastline Homes LOCAL VERNACULAR

Multifamily

Solar Proximity Renewable

COMMUNITY 

IMPACT

CLUSTERED

DESIGN

LOW IMPACT

SITE

EFFICIENT HEATING

INNOVATION

LOCAL SYMBOLS

CULTURE

PASSIVE SOLAR

GREEN

Engagement 

Northeast

Photo: Design Group Collaborative

Drawing: Design Group Collaborative

The Kikunol housing project is located in Pleasant Point at the northeastern tip of the United States. The Passamaquoddy people have 

inhabited this historic area for thousands of years. In the form of a 

semicircle, the site plan references traditional gathering protocols. 

The 17 multifamily homes were designed to blend with a wooded 

landscape and to honor symbols and shapes that are part of the Passamaquoddy heritage.

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Site analysis early in the project leads to a 

better alignment with environmental goals.

•Close collaboration between the housing 

authority and contractors leads to a more 

successful process.

BEST PRACTICES

•The buildings are oriented for maximum 

solar gain and exposure.

•Clustered massing minimizes the impact on 

the site, including lessened impact on the 

surrounding wetlands.

•A solar hot water system together teamed 

with a high-efficiency system comprise an 

efficient heating system.

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

TBD

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$4.45M

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$126

COST PER UNIT: 

$82,000-177,000

TOTAL UNITS:

17
11 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

KIKUNOL HOUSING

CONTEXT

Today, Pleasant Point is a small reservation of about 

2,000 residents. The Pleasant Point Housing Authority 

(PPHA) owns most of the housing on the reservation. The 

community is very close and committed to its tribal history and roots. The project site is in a wooded area that 

is slightly elevated from the rest of the housing development. It is developed in the form of a semicircle, which 

references the form of traditional tribal gatherings. 

CULTURE

Kikunol Housing was designed with respect for Passamaquoddy heritage. Passamaquoddy winter structures, such as 

wigwams, were built with local materials, with their openings 

facing to the east—welcoming the morning sun. A decorated 

pole was used to prop open a traditional entry. Designed to 

blend with the wooded landscape, natural tones and curved 

forms mimic the bark of trees. The common area, entrances, 

and building designs incorporate symbols and shapes that 

express Passamaquoddy heritage and history.

Photo: Design Group Collaborative

Drawing: Design Group Collaborative

Photo: SNCC

GREEN

The buildings are oriented for maximum solar gain and 

exposure, similar to Passamaquoddy traditional structures, 

which took advantage of maximum solar exposure. The design 

includes large overhangs and large south-facing windows in 

each home to provide natural daylight and help reduce the 

heat load in the winter. The homes also have high-efficiency 

heating systems and airtight construction methods. 

Typical Building Floor Plan

R=7'-10"

ADA 

UNIT

5- 36" 

propane 

tanks

BUILDING 'B' FLOORPLAN

Scale: 1/8" = 1'-0"

1

A6.1

TWO BEDROOM ADA UNIT THREE BEDROOM UNIT TWO BEDROOM UNIT

A

TWO BEDROOM TYPE A UNIT

32'-0" 28'-0" 32'-0" 32'-0"

124'-0"

STORAGE SHEDS:

ADD ALT.

36" MIN. ICE & WATER SHIELD

@ALL EAVES & VALLEYS (TYP.)

PROVIDE END WALL STEP FLASHING

RAIN DIVERTER AT REAR DOORS (TYP)

PROPANE

SHED

DESIGN | LESSONS LEARNED

The homes are grouped four units to a building, minimizing impact on the site. The 

staggered pattern allows for private entrances and backyard areas. Each building includes 

a combination of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. A lesson learned was to coordinate 

the impact of the development on the neighboring wetlands earlier in the process. The 

landscape design had to be modified so as not to impact wetlands, which was a good 

environmental move, but it required the circular layout of the housing units to be altered and 

the tribal gathering area eliminated. If this impact had been realized earlier in the project, 

the design could have been better coordinated with the wetlands.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 12

Plummer, ID COEUR D’ALENE  | THE GATHERING PLACE

AUG 2010 APRIL 2011

Start of design process FEB 2010

Start of construction Substantial completion 

Client/Developer: Coeur d’Alene Tribal Housing Authority Sustainability Contractor: Pura Vida Homes LLC (Straw Bale Installation)

Architect: Thomas W. Angell, AIA Site Design: Taylor Engineering Inc. 

Contractor: MDM Construction Inc. Research + Collaborators: University of Idaho’s Bioregional Planning &

Engineer: Taylor Engineering Inc. Community Design Program SUPER-INSULATED 

Northwest

Multifamily

Natural Salvage Health

Building

SUSTAINABLE MODEL 

IMPACT

RESEARCH

DESIGN

BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT

SITE

COLLABORATION

INNOVATION

LANDSCAPE

CULTURE

SUPER-INSULATED

GREEN

This 18-unit multifamily housing project was constructed using 

environmentally friendly natural building techniques. These straw 

bale buildings were designed in collaboration with the Coeur d’Alene 

Tribal Housing Authority (CDATHA) and tribal members, with initial 

research and engagement by the University of Idaho’s Bioregional 

Planning & Community Design Program. Prior to construction the 

CDATHA demolished 12 existing lead and asbestos structures, and 

salvaged a majority of timber for future reuse. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•The ability to be flexible and the involvement of 

a good collaborator help the overall design and 

building process.

•High-quality housing projects can foster a sense 

of pride in everyday living. 

BEST PRACTICES

•Wood was salvaged from old structures for 

creative reuse in future projects.

•Recovery ventilation combined with a superinsulated, straw bale wall system lowers energy 

costs significantly.

•Low-flow faucets, combined with ENERGY 

STAR appliances and no- to low-volatile organic 

compound materials, contribute to the greening of 

a healthy living environment.

TOTAL PROJECT COSTS: 

$4.5M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$4M

PER SQ FOOT:

$170

COST PER UNIT: 

$222,000

TOTAL UNITS:

18

Engagement

Photo: Tomas W. Angell 

Photos: Tomas W. Angell 
13 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

BEST PRACTICES | SITE

Density

Habitat

Community

Proximity

How can thoughtful site planning sustain 

cultural heritage and natural habitat?

Native American communities have long sustained a strong sense of place, identity, and community, even through major social 

and geographic upheavals. A native sense of place links the natural, physical world to cultural values, a strong cosmology, and an 

understanding that everything is interconnected. These core values help to link cultural sustainability with ecological sustainability. 

Many of these projects exemplify place-based solutions, such as project locations and site planning that consider infrastructure, 

density, habitat protection, and affordability. In the tribal tradition, homes were typically rural, although due to many factors, 

tribes often gathered within a defined community commons area. The small land base of many reservations, combined with the 

high cost of infrastructure, is leading to a return to traditional arrangements of homes and community services in ways that 

are appropriate to each community. For example, Owe’neh Bupingeh is based on a long-term master land use plan, promoting 

compact development in the historic Pueblo core. Located in a high-altitude ponderosa forest, the I-Sah’-Din’-Dii Housing Project 

at Mescalero Apache exhibits a low-impact design that maintains a rural feel but places the homes closer together to reduce 

infrastructure costs and protect the natural habitat. The Navajo Housing Authority Planning Manual establishes standards for 

maintaining sustainability and affordability in appropriately planned developments across the Navajo Nation. Access to healthy 

food is an important aspect of site planning, and the Place of Hidden Waters is beginning to reap the rewards of onsite community 

gardens. Managing and protecting water through rain gardens and rainwater harvesting help conserve a precious resource for 

the future. The Place of Hidden Waters, Teekalet Village Housing, and Penobscot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design 

(LEED) Homes are creatively sited housing that protects and celebrates natural habitats central to their respective lifeways and 

heritage. 

SITE
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 14

Nageezi, NM NAVAJO  | NAGEEZI HOUSE

MAY 2005 AUG 2005 OCT 2006

Design process begins FEB 2005

Design/build begins Substantial completion Monitoring complete Occupied and monitoring begins 

OCT 2005

Client: Mary and Kee Augustine Design/Build Team: Daniel Glenn, Design Director

Architect/Developer: Arizona State University (ASU) Stardust Center Ernesto Fonseca, Construction/Energy Modeling

Development Partner: Navajo Housing Authority ASU Students of Architecture: Christopher Billey, Tanya 

Yellowhair, and Jason Croxton

TRIBAL ENTERPRISE 

The Nageezi House is a sustainable and affordable design/build 

project of the Arizona State University (ASU) Stardust Center. It was 

the first home to be built using Navajo FlexCrete, a subsidiary of the 

Navajo Housing Authority. The home was designed and built with a 

Navajo elder family in Nageezi, NM with a team of professionals and 

students from ASU’s department of Architecture. The project was a 

collaboration with the Navajo Housing Authority. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•The collaboration between a tribal housing 

authority and a university can help to 

provide new models for housing.

•Culturally relevant, sustainable housing can 

be adopted on a larger scale for new housing 

developments. 

BEST PRACTICES

•The project incorporated passive cooling 

ventilation and passive solar heating.

•Rainwater is harvested with a 1,200 gallon 

underground cistern.

•The house is designed to reflect and 

celebrate traditional Navajo culture.

•The project used tribal materials for 

construction—Navajo FlexCrete.

Southwest

Single Family

Passive Partnerships

Solar

Cultural 

Form

Tribal 

Materials 

MODEL FOR NATION

IMPACT

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE

DESIGN

MULTIGENERATIONAL CLUSTER

SITE

NAVAJO FLEXCRETE

INNOVATION

INNOVATING TRADITION

CULTURE

PASSIVE SOLAR

GREEN

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$130,000*

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$100

COST PER UNIT: 

$130,000

TOTAL UNITS:

1

Photo: Daniel Glenn

Photo: Daniel Glenn

*Note that this project had 

many student volunteers, and their

time has not been accounted for in the project costs 
15 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

NAGEEZI HOUSE

CULTURE

The house is designed to reflect and celebrate traditional Navajo culture. The home’s innovative design reflects the traditional 

structures of the Navajo, including the hooghan (home) and the chahash’oh (shade structure). Both Mary and Kee Augustine grew 

up in traditional Navajo hooghans. For the past 40 years, however, they had been living in a conventional western home and had 

grown accustomed to that lifestyle. In consultation with Mary and Kee, a design was developed that honored and reflected Navajo 

traditions but provides the size, privacy, and compartmentalization of conventional housing. Like a hooghan, the doorway faces 

east, and circulation through the home is in a clockwise flow, from the more public areas (living/kitchen/dining) toward the private 

rooms (bathroom and bedrooms). These rooms wrap around an octagonal courtyard, designed to reflect the Navajo hooghan in 

form and in the materials. Living, kitchen, and dining spaces are combined into one large, south-facing room to allow for larger 

family gatherings and to reflect the shared space of the hooghan. A shade structure on the south face protects the southern windows and deck from the summer sun and is designed to reflect the traditional chahash’oh that the Navajo use as a summer shade 

structure and cooking area. At the center of the east-facing courtyard, an outdoor fire pit represents the fire at the heart of the 

hooghan. Windows are placed to provide views through the house to all four cardinal directions from the courtyard.

Photo: Daniel Glenn

Model by Daniel Glenn

GREEN

The Nageezi House was designed as a Leadership in Energy and 

Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes project during the pilot phase 

of the program, although it was never certified as a LEED Homes project. 

In the building of this affordable and sustainable demonstration home, 

several of the green strategies were intended to be replicable and 

low-cost approaches, including building orientation, passive cooling/

ventilation, and passive solar heating. Following construction, the home 

was monitored for a full year to evaluate its performance with embedded 

temperature sensors in the walls and on the interior and exterior of 

the home, which demonstrated that overall energy use in the home is 

reduced 50 percent from a conventional home. The site is not irrigated; a 

gravelled surface surrounds the home. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 16

Kingston, WA PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBE  | TEEKALET VILLAGE

2010 2011 JAN 2011

Community design2009

Construction starts Substantial completion

Client: Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Landscape Architect: Brian McCormack, ASLA 

Developer: Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Housing Authority Civil Engineer: Ahmis Loving, Loving Engineering & Consulting, P.S. Inc.

Architect: Roy Hellwig, Tormod Hellwig, LLC Partners: Common Ground

Contractor: Jack Grinnell, JM Grinnell Contracting Inc. HERITAGE PROTECTION

The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal (PGST) Housing Authority designed 

and built the Teekalet Village at a key location adjacent to historic 

salmon fishing grounds on the Puget Sound. Site features include 

a community building, a playground, and connections to walking/

hiking trails. This housing was built to replace asbestos-contaminated 

houses on the same site. The site was carefully designed to protect a 

salmon spawning creek, a tribal hatchery, and the historic waterfront 

at Point Julia. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Good design can achieve appropriate density 

in communities with histories of sparse 

settlement. 

•Walkable communities can be anchored with 

access to key recreational, cultural, and 

historic sites.

•New housing projects can help preserve 

traditional heritage.

BEST PRACTICES

•The design/build team included a S’Klallam 

tribal member contractor and a local 

architect.

•A playground, pathways, native plants, and 

porches help to form a cohesive community 

atmosphere.

•Landscape and water flow management 

protect an adjacent salmon creek 

and hatchery.

Traditional Habitat

Lifeways

Density Proximity

TOWARDS FUTURE

IMPACT

WALKABLE

DESIGN

PROTECTED HATCHERY

SITE

H2O MANAGEMENT

INNOVATION

MEDICINE PATH

CULTURE

WASHINGTON EVERGREEN STDS

GREEN

Single Family

Northwest

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$4.45M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$3.5M

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$148

COST PER UNIT: 

$82,000-$177,000 

TOTAL UNITS:

17

Photo: Nathaniel Corum 

Drawing: Tormod Hellwig, LLC
17 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

TEEKALET VILLAGE

CONTEXT

Many of the approximately 1,300 tribal members of the 

Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (PGST) live on the shores 

of Port Gamble Bay on the Kitsap Peninsula. A ferry and 

short drive from Seattle, these 2 miles of waterfront are 

part of the reservation. Although historically a Salishspeaking people, the PGST were well established in the 

Puget Sound basin by 1400 BCE. Today, the S’Klallam 

people continue to practice the traditions that shaped 

their culture and lives, including fishing, hunting, singing, 

and dancing. The tribal website makes it clear that the 

PGST are working hard to build a better community for 

future generations. 

DESIGN

A pleasing cluster of homes in a variety of layouts and 

colors is anchored by a community center and an access 

loop. Project materials include cement fibre board 

sheathing, composition shingle roofing, and timber porches. 

COMMUNITY

Several tribal offices and businesses are within walking 

distance of the site and an exemplary community center, 

composed of a culturally appropriate longhouse, library, 

housing authority, other tribal offices, and new school. 

2 1/2 Bedrooms | 2 Story | Floor Plans

DAY LIGHTING

Because sunlight is scarce in the Pacific Northwest, during the 

winter, architects designed the houses with smaller building 

envelopes to allow light to enter from two sides. The porches 

were also equipped with transparent roofing allowing more light 

through. On the south side of the homes, shading elements 

keep the homes from overheating.

Porch covering 

Low-flow 

fixtures

Super-insulated

Open floor plan 

accommodates 

gatherings First Floor Second Floor 

Low-flow 

fixtures

Access to 

daylight/

compact plan 

Drawings: Tormod Hellwig, LLC

From my house, I can walk right 

down to the beach. I can walk to the 

tribal administration; we have an 

exercise room that we can all walk 

to, right by the health clinic and the 

dental offices. We’re pretty much 

close to everything, except the 

store, which is a bit of a walk. 

- Joanne DeCoteau, resident tribal member

SITE

A beautiful bluff above a fragile salmon creek, the site was previously developed in 

the 1970s with five buildings containing asbestos, all of which were in various states 

of disrepair. After evaluation, it was determined these structures had served their 

functional lives and it would be cost prohibitive to renovate them, so they were 

abated and demolished. The Teekalet project is considered an infill development 

because it increased the density of the site, with 17 units and a community center 

in the same footprint area. To protect the stream from runoff, landscape features 

include a comprehensive system of rain gardens, permeable paving, swales, and native plants. A path network, water access, and a playground connect to community 

facilities and shoreline hiking. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 18

TEEKALET VILLAGE

DESIGN

Well-proportioned homes are in a colorful and cozy 

circle that features central access, a community center, 

and walkable paths to community services and natural 

resources. Pathways, native plants, and a playground form 

a cohesive community atmosphere, and landscape and 

waterflow management protects an adjacent salmon creek 

and hatchery from negative impacts of the development. 

GREEN

The homes feature low-to-no-volatile organic compound 

(VOC) products, low-flow fixtures, and ENERGY STAR 

appliances. Energy efficient features are extensive, including 

being photovoltaic (PV) ready, incorporating passive solar and 

heat-recovery ventilation, as well as instant hot water, and 

programmable thermostats. The owners were all provided 

with a manual and orientation to the green features. 

Photo: Nathaniel Corum Project relationships diagram

General Contractor 

is a S'Klallam tribal 

member

Local Architect knows 

contractor well

Boys & Girls Club 

collaborated on 

“medicine trail”

GC

TRIBE

Architect

PGSTHA

Boys & Girls 

Club

CULTURE

According to S’Klallam oral tradition, the level sandy spit 

chosen for the mill site was the ancestral village known as 

“Teekalet,” which is a Klallam/Chimakum word that describes 

“the shining sand in full sunlight.” Fireplaces are important 

to tribal members, as are places to store firewood for backup 

heating and ceremonial use. The site is just upstream of a 

tribal salmon hatchery and adjacent to historic sites, including 

Point Julia on the Puget Sound.

PROCESS

Through a process centered on a series of community 

meetings, the design/build team worked with the Port 

Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (PGST) Housing Authority, tribal 

members, and the PGST Tribal Council to arrive at a design 

approach and construction imperatives. The architectural 

program stemmed from community input and tribal 

members’ needs and preferences, including large kitchens, 

ample storage, multilevel designs, and “half-rooms” that 

could alternatively serve as an office or nursery.
19 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

TEEKALET VILLAGE

INNOVATION

A dynamic site water system protects the salmon creek, 

hatchery, and Puget Sound waters below. The site design 

by civil engineer Ahmis Loving and Nez Perce tribal 

member and landscape architect Brian McCormack 

features water management, pervious paving, swales, 

and rain gardens to arrive at a resilient habitat for newly 

introduced native plants that protect the nearby creek 

shed and allow for access to community services, fishing, 

recreation, and play.

VISION

Common Ground performed a study and determined a clear 

need for affordable housing, confirming the tribe’s recognition 

that there was not enough housing for low-income community 

members, and that a priority was healthy homes in a dense 

configuration close to community facilities. The Tribal Council 

tasked the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (PGST) Housing Authority with developing the project.

ITERATION

The design team was provided with information from 

community meetings, where tribal members communicated the need for a large gathering areas. This was provided 

through the inclusion of a community center, indoor/

outdoor social spaces, open floor plans for kitchen, living, 

dining, and porches. 

Project cost breakdown 

1% Site assessment 

and surveying fees 

5.5% Site architect 

and engineering fees

4% Grant writing 

fees and attorney

2%

Furnishings

8%

Contingency

1.5%

Loan costs 

78%

Construction costs

Photo: Nathaniel Corum 

Photo: Roy Hellwig Photo: Roy Hellwig

We’ve learned from this project 

that we have to make better 

use of the land. We have to 

increase density in order to meet 

current and future needs for 

housing, and of course we have 

to continue to develop projects 

that are environmentally friendly, 

energy-efficient and have durable 

materials. -Chris Placentia

LESSONS LEARNED/CONCLUSION

As a result of the Teekalet project process, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and housing 

authority are now knowledgeable about providing high-quality, green housing at a higher 

density. The standards for housing and the ability to produce it have been raised in the 

community, and many tribal members have become more comfortable with denser housing, 

especially when it is within close proximity to key services and activities. The sense in 

the course of interviews is that when future residents and other tribal members are 

consulted on design elements, a better product results. The close-knit, local design/build 

team also assured close community contact throughout the process, addressing concerns 

as they arose before problems became entrenched. There is now great confidence in the 

community’s ability to provide for its own housing needs, paving the way to more successful 

projects in the future. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 20

Ukiah, CA PINOLEVILLE POMO NATION HOMES

FALL 2008 SEPT 2012 2013

Request for services 2008

UCB design collaboration Substantial completion Anticipated completion

SPRING 2010Design phase completed 

Client: Pinoleville Pomo Nation Partners: Community Assessment of Renewable Energy & 

Contractor: Pinoleville Pomo Nation Housing Authority Sustainability (CARES)

Consulting Engineer: Laco Associates University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

Development Center for Appropriate Technology 

(DCAT), Vital Systems (Natural Building)

In collaboration with Pinoleville Pomo Nation (PPN), the Community 

Assessment of Renewable Energy & Sustainability (CARES) and the 

Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Architecture at the 

University of California, Berkeley (UCB) created ambitious, culturally inspired, efficient model homes featuring natural materials and 

integrated renewable energy systems. As the tribe continues working 

toward culturally appropriate housing and facilities, these homes 

demonstrate ways to provide for future needs.

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Tribes with access to technical assistance and control 

over their funding can achieve green, culturally 

appropriate housing even after years of being 

marginalized.

•Building multiple prototype versions allows for sideby-side testing and research for future performance 

optimization.

•New housing projects can preserve cultural and 

traditional values.

•Developing a culturally informed community 

engagement process helped develop tribal green 

building codes.

BEST PRACTICES

•Renewable energy-efficient systems were co-designed 

and built by tribal citizens. 

•Rainwater catchment and greywater systems reduce 

vulnerability to water shortages and support onsite 

plantings.

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$1.3M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$950,000

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$230

COST PER UNIT: 

$475,000

TOTAL UNITS:

2

PROTOTYPES FOR REPLICATION

IMPACT

PARTICIPATORY PROCESS

DESIGN

INFILL ADJACENT TO FACILITIES 

SITE

TRIBAL BUILDING CODES 

INNOVATION

TRADITIONAL MATERIALS AND FORMS

CULTURE

NATURAL MATERIALS 

GREEN

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Natural Partnership

Building

Building 

Codes

Engagement

Single Family

Northwest

Photo: SNCC

Photo: SNCC Photo: SNCC
21 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

PINOLEVILLE POMO NATION HOMES

INNOVATION

Several key partnerships made this project unique 

and helped to assure its success. A collaborative design approach allowed for technology transfer in many 

areas: education about passive solar, water harvesting, 

cob, earth plasters, and stone masonry. The culturally 

informed design of the houses reflect a Pinoleville Pomo 

Nation (PPN) preference for traditional curving and nonlinear forms in their structures. The use of straw bale and 

natural materials and finishes enhanced this preference. 

The design went through several phases of revision by 

local builders and natural-building facilitators. In a parallel process, the PPN collaborated with the Development 

Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) to produce a 

tribal green building code framework in 2011.

PROCESS

Community engagement was important throughout the 

design/build process. The co-design approach developed after 

a request from PPN for University of California, Berkeley, 

technical assistance. PPN was most knowledgeable about their 

Nation and needs, and the University of California, Berkeley, 

had specific technical skills to add to achieve goals. One 

challenge in the process was to determine the tribe’s goals. 

UCB/CARES researched methods of engagement to arrive at 

a framework for collaboration while helping to define what 

sustainability means to Pinoleville Pomo Nation community 

citizens. Working with the DCAT and others, the tribe has 

developed a framework of tribal green building codes to 

assert cultural sovereignty, address tribal priorities, and build 

capacity.

A lowered floor area centers each 

traditional home and allows for 

ceremony.

Open plan allows for diverse 

gatherings and flexible use.

Natural materials stand out, including: 

earth plaster, straw bales, stone, and 

abalone shell.

Curved walls reference traditional Pomo 

architecture.

Four wood columns support a clerestory 

vault and emphasize the importance of 

the cardinal directions.

3 Bedrooms | 1 Story | Floor Plan

Drawing: Pinoleville Pomo Nation Housing Authority 

GREEN

These unique houses feature energy-efficient systems, straw bale walls, 

earthen plasters, no-to-low volatile organic compound paints and stains, 

ground-source heat pumps, solar photovoltaic arrays, solar hot water 

collectors, greywater irrigation, composting toilets, and rain-catchment 

systems. Efficient and renewable energy systems reduce dependence 

on outside service providers and demonstrate a tribal preference for 

clean energy. These homes are designed to conserve resources with 

passive heating and cooling considerations, mold- and pest-resistant 

wall sections, and emissions-free heating and cooling system. Rainwatercatchment and greywater systems reduce vulnerability to water 

shortages and support onsite gardens and landscaping. 

Putting in the straw bale brought 

a lot of people together: tribal, 

nation, university. People coming 

together to build homes. 

- Nathan Rich, PPN resident

Photo: SNCC
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 22

Indian Island, ME PENOBSCOT INDIAN NATION  | PENOBSCOT LEED HOMES

JULY 2008 2009 2010

Community design process2007

Construction starts Substantial completion Occupied

Client: Penobscot Indian Nation Contractor Phase I: DP Porter Contractors, Inc. 

Developer: Penobscot Indian Nation Housing Authority Contractor Phase II: Penobscot Indian Nation Housing Authority

Architect of Record: Dan Miller, AIA

Architecture Firm: WBRC Architects Engineers

REUNITING HERITAGE

Through collaboration with local lenders and the U.S. government, 

tribal member home ownership is on the rise. The Penobscot Indian 

Nation Housing Authority (PINHA) built 12 Leadership in Energy and 

Environmental Design (LEED) Gold single-family homes. The project 

has helped bring young, low-income families back to the community, 

reuniting them with a strong cultural and traditional heritage. The 

project features a nature path, native plants, a boardwalk network 

connecting to community facilities, sweat lodges, and a ceremonial 

multi-use space. 

Northeast

Single Family

Traditional Habitat

Lifeways 

Health Partnership

REUNITING FAMILIES 

IMPACT

CLUSTERED

DESIGN

CONNECTING TO NATURE

SITE

TRIBAL LENDING

INNOVATION

SITE FEATURES

CULTURE

LEED GOLD

GREEN

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Working in a collaborative process helped to 

identify the power of partnerships and come 

up with creative solutions beyond providing 

housing.

•Incorporating cultural elements and natural 

resources in the site design helped to create 

a beautiful environment and educate families 

about the tribe’s heritage. 

BEST PRACTICES

• Tailored model lending policies that were 

adopted by the tribe helped families to return 

and live on tribal trust land. 

• Comprehensive site planning met community 

goals for enhanced green space, outdoor use, 

and an integrated trail system.

• Tribal members led the project, chose the team, 

and helped to determine home designs and 

cultural features.

Photo: SNCC

Photo: SNCC

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$3.1M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$2.84M

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$138

COST PER UNIT: 

$180,000 

TOTAL UNITS:

12
23 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

PENOBSCOT LEED HOMES

CONTEXT

The Penobscot Indian Nation Housing Authority (PINHA) 

project is located on Indian Island in the Penobscot River. 

Indian Island is the traditional center of a group of clans 

who lived along the river, and is connected by a single 

bridge to Old Town, Maine. The homes are framed by 

woods, with strong connections to cultural and historic 

locations, and by the cultural focus of the river, boating, 

and recreation activities. 

CULTURE

The homes bridge nature and community, with pathways 

to ceremonial sites and access to river and woods. Tribal 

designs are cut into local woodwork on homes of natural 

and earth tones, while trails link to town, to nature, and to a 

ceremonial area that is a circle of standing stones and sweat 

lodges. Tribal artists created stone monuments along trails, 

and the Tribal Cultural & Natural Resources team worked with 

the Boys and Girls Club to locate and illustrate indigenous 

medicinal plants.

SITE

The site sits on a rocky ledge forming the heart of the island 

and is located conveniently between tribal services and community facilities. The 12-acre site exemplifies a tribal conservation 

strategy to place 12 homes on 1/4 acre lots and leave 75 percent 

protected as green open space for community use and for cultural 

education. There is now a short walk to the school, elder center, 

tribal offices, cultural and ceremonial areas, and water. An accessible, raised boardwalk protects habitat and acts as a nature trail 

to celebrate and conserve natural resources. It is said that this is 

a special place, where the diversity of plants live together with 

areas for ceremonies and gatherings.

The people that own these homes 

are young families with children, 

they are people who live alone, 

there’s one woman that’s in the 

medical field, there’s an elder who 

has older children, there are elder 

couples. You know, it has served 

the need of quite a variety of 

families. I think that’s really good... 

a lot of families are reunited. 

-Cynthia LeMay, Penobscot Indian 

Nation Housing Authority

Photo: Richard Neill

Photo: SNCC

Photo: SNCC
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 24

PENOBSCOT LEED HOMES

DESIGN

The development consists of 11 three-bedroom homes 

at 1,265 sq ft and one four-bedroom home at 1,478 sq ft. 

Compact one-story homes line an access road and then 

transition to a trail network leading to a ceremonial circle. 

The homes feature inset porches for some relief from the 

basic rectangular footprint. Their siting amidst the Maine 

woods and dramatic topography make the setting special. 

GREEN

The LEED Gold housing includes radiant hydronic floors, solar 

hot water systems, blown-in insulation, and efficient framing. 

The many regional materials (within 500 miles) featured include local wood such as cherry cabinets and maple flooring. 

Native, ceremonial, useful, and edible plants are cultivated 

along a “medicine trail” network that supports circulation, 

education, and recreation.

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

MECH

LIVING 

ROOM

KITCHEN

DINING

3 Bedrooms | 1 Story | Floor Plan

Compact, insulated, and tight 

envelope emphasizes energy 

economy. 

Solar hot water heaters add 

to home efficiency.

Open plan living and dining 

allows for gatherings and 

cultural events.

Eagle symbolized in rafter tail 

detail.

PROCESS

Tribal members were responsible for the vision of the 

project, and participatory design was a primary directive. 

Multiple public hearings and design charrettes included 

homeowners who met with the design team several times 

for 1-day workshops. According to architect Daniel Miller, 

the community was focused on LEED certification and on 

developing an efficient floor plan that was “sustainable 

and also met the needs of the families.” 

IMPACT

The original goal was to provide affordable housing in a challenging financial and environmental climate. A small community came together to cooperate and innovate to meet the 

housing needs. Ultimately, the project‘s impact went beyond 

housing to include infrastructure and community service 

improvements, and cultural and environmental linkages. A 

growing network of collaborators pulled in unison to achieve 

meaningful and effective use of the core of the islet. 

Photo: SNCC

Photo: Richard Neill

Photo: Richard Neill
25 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

PENOBSCOT LEED HOMES

VISION

The Penobscot Indian Nation Housing Authority (PINHA), 

with tribal project lead Craig Sanborn, brought together 

elders, children, future homeowners, tribal agencies, and 

banks to create a common vision. A primary focus was 

bringing young tribal members back to live on Indian 

Island through the provision of high-quality, affordable 

homes. A dedicated internal team formed of PINHA staff, 

a grant writer, and an architect set a goal to create a credible and attractive vision for the community. Through this 

committed partnership, they obtained commitments from 

tribal leadership, departmental directors, and local and 

federal agencies.

PARTICIPATION 

A tribal committee was created to help address the development of more financing choices for tribal members. They 

worked with leaders in the tribal community to negotiate with 

federal agencies, resulting in tailored model lending documents that were acceptable and adopted by the Tribe through 

tribal legislation. The PINHA worked with lenders to conduct 

tribal mortgage and home buyer workshops. New financial 

frameworks were created and cultural pathways were reestablished. 

No area on the island was available 

for traditional tribal ceremony. 

Our tribe was the center of an 

inter-tribal alliance, in existence 

for thousands of years. There 

are stories about where the 

community meeting area was. The 

ceremonial grounds, as a result 

of initiating the trail, are restored 

to be a gathering spot. You’ll see 

that there are 23 stones, which 

represent the original clans. Every 

clan has a presence. It’s an area 

that’s available to anyone: the 

Native American Church, there’s 

a site for women, there’s a site for 

men. Those are being used much 

more frequently now and continue 

to grow. That’s opened up a whole 

new aspect of wellness in the 

community that feeds the whole 

person.

PINHA

Tribal 

Depts

Tribal

Leaders

Federal

+

Local

Banks

Architect

Tribal

Families

- Craig Sanborn, Project Leader

Photo: Richard Neill

Grant 

Writer

Contractor

LESSONS LEARNED/CONCLUSION

What really stands out on Penobscot Indian Island is that a community was able to take bold 

and creative steps to ensure their future resilience. Cultural, social, economic, and traditional 

values were layered over the land with a deep historic reverence for the tribal members of 

the Penobscot Indian Nation. Persistent collaboration among community members of all ages, 

from within tribal government and local informal groups, arrived at a shared vision; cultural 

protocols were valued alongside a range of financial and design efficiencies. Lessons learned 

include the importance of developing model documents, including construction contracts 

with consequences for delays. It was also important to phase future developments to allow 

for flexibility and infrastructure placement. Although for this project, the initial cost of “going 

green” was more expensive, the integrated design process allowed for incorporation of 

traditional values and is more attractive to funders and community members. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 26

Mescalero, NM MESCALERO APACHE TRIBE  | I-SAH’-DIN’-DII, PHASE I

MAY 2007 MAY 2009 JUNE 2009

Development teamNOV 2006

LIHTC award | Design process Substantial completion Ribbon cutting Submit LIHTC application

JAN 2007

Syndicator closing | Construction beginsMARCH 2008

Client/Developer: Mescalero Apache Housing Authority Syndicator: Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Architect: Atkin Olshin Schade Architects Partnering Agencies: New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, U.S. 

Contractor: Pavilion Construction Department of Housing and Urban Development,

Development Consultant: Concept Consulting, Inc. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Services

Southwest

Single Family

Passive Envelope Habitat

Solar

RURAL GREEN

IMPACT

PASSIVE SOLAR

DESIGN

SITE

COMPARISON OF WALL SYSTEMS

INNOVATION

HABITAT PROTECTION

CULTURE

MORTGAGE FINANCE AUTHORITY GREEN GUIDELINES

GREEN

Natural 

Ventilation

* Costs shown include significant site 

improvements for future phases, including a new lift station.

Photo: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 

Photo: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 

LOW IMPACT DESIGN

The I-Sah’-Din’-Dii Housing Project, Phase I, is a rural development 

of 30 low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) units and a community 

center that are located within a beautiful, high-altitude ponderosa 

pine forest in southern New Mexico. Energy savings, occupant health, 

and reduced impact on the surrounding forest were primary goals of 

the project. The project team also compared different wall systems 

to determine the most cost-effective approach to a tight building 

envelope for use in future projects. I-Sah’-Din’-Dii is a model for 

green, context-appropriate tribal housing.

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•A rural atmosphere can be maintained through 

thoughtful site planning.

•Good design can help reduce construction and 

energy costs. 

•Engaging all project partners at the outset of a 

project enhances collaborative performance.

•Structural insulated panels (SIPs) for wall 

construction are a cost-effective, green 

alternate to wood stud wall construction. 

BEST PRACTICES

•The site plan was developed using low-impact 

development principles. For example, compact 

housing allowed for significant protection of 

adjacent habitat.

•Construction followed the New Mexico Mortgage 

Finance Authority Green Guidelines.

•All of the homes are oriented for passive solar, 

with large windows and appropriately sized 

overhangs on the south.

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$7.4M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$6.5M

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$165

COST PER UNIT: 

$214,500* 

TOTAL UNITS:

30
27 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

I-SAH’-DIN’-DII, PHASE I

SITE

The site was designed using a combination of strategies 

to incorporate walkability, low-impact development, and 

passive solar design. Low-impact development principles 

are based on minimizing impact on the natural environment, such as siting roads and building pads according 

to existing terrain and topography, limiting the area of 

disturbance around construction, clustering development, 

and designing roads and walkways that limit the velocity 

of runoff and offsite erosion. 

DESIGN

The homes incorporate passive solar design and orientation 

to reduce energy costs. The annual sun angles for Mescalero, 

New Mexico, were analyzed and appropriately sized overhangs were built. This design approach allows the lower winter sun to radiate into the home and the higher summer sun 

to be blocked out. The combination of overhangs, concrete 

floor slab, and large southern windows, along with other design strategies such as a well-insulated building envelope and 

wood stoves, helps reduce winter heating bills. 

I’ve seen a lot of affordable housing 

developments over the years, but this 

one was almost overwhelming in its 

beauty, the location, and the amount 

of work that went into the project.

- Julie Gunter, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Photo: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 

Photo: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 

Drawings: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 

Summer Sun Winter Sun

GREEN

To protect resident health, no carpets were installed, and low-volatile organic compound 

paints, sealants, and adhesives, as well as non-urea-formaldehyde cabinets were specified. 

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) were appropriately specified to ensure that non-toxic, 

urea-formaldehyde-free adhesives were used in the sheathing. ENERGY STAR appliances, 

passive solar design, and a tight building envelope were addressed for energy efficiency, 

with R-26 wall insulation and R-40 roof insulation. Passive ventilation helps maintain thermal 

comfort in the summer by bringing air in through low windows and releasing warm air in high 

clerestory windows. Water conservation includes low-flow fixtures and rain barrels to capture 

roof water. Half of the homes were built with SIPs and the other half with conventional wood 

frame construction. Post-occupancy utility data shows that the SIP walls are not only cost 

competitive, but they also provide a tighter building envelope. Site disturbance was limited to 

25 feet from homes.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 28

2001-PRESENT 2013

American Indian Sustainable Housing Initiative launched 1999

Construction Ongoing

Busby and Lame Deer, MT NORTHERN CHEYENNE | STRAW BALE HOMES

Client: Northern Cheyenne elders and tribal members Design Collaborators: Community members and homeowners

Developer: Red Feather Development Group Systems Engineer: Art Fust, P.E., Energy A.D.

Design + Build: Nathaniel Corum, Mark Jensen, Sergio Palleroni Other Partners: U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, 

Contractor: Red Feather Development Group + volunteers Indian Health Services, Enterprise Rose Architectural 

Fellowship

VOLUNTEER BUILD

Working with Northern Cheyenne tribal members, Red Feather Development 

Group (RFDG) has developed a cooperative design/build. The homes are 

designed in collaboration with low-income first-time homeowners and built 

through donations and volunteer efforts. Typically building one house each 

year, RFDG has created homes with several Northern Cheyenne families 

and initiated a similar program with the Hopi in Arizona. These load-bearing 

straw bale homes represent a climate-appropriate, super-insulated response 

to the Northern Plains’ winter conditions.

Natural Training Partnership 

Building

MODEL FOR DEVELOPMENT

IMPACT

INTEGRATED

DESIGN

ORIENTATION

SITE

VOLUNTEER BUILD

INNOVATION

COMMUNITY DIALOGUE

CULTURE

SUPER-INSULATED

GREEN

Engagement

Northern Plains

Single Family

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Culturally appropriate features can be easily 

incorporated into new housing through dialogue 

with residents.

•Innovative and climate-appropriate heating 

systems result from working closely with project 

engineers. 

•Volunteer-built projects need to be well 

coordinated but provide savings on labor.

BEST PRACTICES

•Cultural elements include east-facing doors, 

large kitchens for gatherings, locating windows 

for key views and privacy concerns, and 

designing accents specific to each family. 

•Radiant heat and heat-recovery ventilation 

combined with a super-insulated straw bale wall 

system lowers energy costs significantly.

•Community outreach is key, especially when 

combined with volunteer labor. 

Photo: Michael Rosenberg

Photo: Skip Baumhower

*Project was subsidized by volunteer 

labor and donated materials. 

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$1.1M*

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$108*

COST PER UNIT: 

$151,395*

TOTAL UNITS:

7
29 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

STRAW BALE HOMES

INNOVATION

The Straw Bale Construction Internship (SBCI) provides 

paid training for tribal members to learn and utilize 

construction and project management skills. SBCI equips 

tribal members with the necessary skills to address 

long-term housing needs in their communities. Equally important, the vocational skills participants learned to help 

pave the way for future employment opportunities. The 

SBCI program addresses the need for safe and affordable 

tribal housing by combining sustainable home construction technology with hands-on, paid construction training. 

The program equips tribal members with the skills to address long-term housing needs in their communities while 

strengthening future employment opportunities. 

GREEN

The Red Feather Development Group (RFDG) employs green 

approaches where possible without sacrificing efficiency, 

cost-effectiveness, or ease of construction/maintenance. 

Straw bale is suited well to the community/volunteer build 

approach and represents a local, renewable, non-toxic and 

carbon-sequestering material. RFDG typically builds a superinsulated, load-bearing straw bale envelope atop a thickenededge high-volume fly ash concrete foundation. Stained 

concrete floors avoid many interior pollution issues and 

typically contain radiant floor systems. Other green features 

include: solar PV and/or hot water, post-consumer attic 

insulation (newspaper), rainwater harvesting, efficient fixtures 

and appliances, local wood, and low/no VOC paints and stains

Exploded perspective 

Standardization and 

materials analysis 

yields economies, 

efficiencies, and 

reduced waste.

Pre-manufactured 

components: trusses, 

cores, appliances

Protective 

stucco plaster

Super-insulating 

local, structural 

straw bales

Radiant floor 

heating system

Frost-protected 

shallow foundation 

saves concrete 

cost and adjacent 

trees

CULTURE

Culturally appropriate features connected with these 

Northern Cheyenne homes include east-facing doors to 

face the rising sun, large kitchens open to living areas for 

celebrations and gatherings, and design accents preferred by 

individual tribal member families. Cultural features include 

site orientation and location adjustments, location of windows 

to control key views and privacy concerns, shade structures 

and covered entries, building portions made of salvage 

materials, live-edge wood porch columns and tribal and family 

designs such as rafter profile details. Such features reflect 

respect for native-to-place materials. 

IMPACT

Though the number of homes needed on the Northern Plains is very high, the Red 

Feather process has been an effective and scalable path to incremental development. 

The impact of this work goes far beyond the seven houses constructed. Red Feather 

shows that continuing to work with the same community yields results over time. The 

cultural bridges built between volunteers, students, RFDG staff, and tribal members are 

lasting and have incredible value. Also, producing publications, curricula, and workshops 

alongside homes has had wide-ranging effects. In one case a group of tribal members in 

Yakima, Washington, used the construction handbook to create a house for themselves 

without RFDG assistance.

Photo: Skip Baumhower

Photo: Skip Baumhower

Drawing by Nathaniel Corum and Corbin Playes 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 30

INNOVATION  |  BEST PRACTICES

What innovative thinking is needed 

to help build sustainable and healthy 

neighborhoods?

Partnership

Training

Enterprise

Material

INNOVATION

Many of the project teams featured here were clearly determined to build new models of housing specific to their communities, exhibiting a high degree of innovation demonstrated in various ways, including new partnerships, innovative technologies, research, 

and creative financing. Some development teams reached out to establish partnerships and collaborations that became critical 

for their success. The Apsáalooke (Crow) Tribe partnered with the University of Colorado Boulder to develop and test an earth 

block house made with native earth and built by a tribal workforce. The Pinoleville Pomo Nation collaborated with many partners 

to achieve a prototype home and develop tribally based building codes. The Nageezi and Guadalupe homes, which the Arizona 

State University Stardust Center helped to design and build, are desert-appropriate homes using Navajo FlexCrete, a Navajo tribal 

enterprise. Many of these partnerships included a high level of analysis and research on new and appropriate materials. Straw 

bale homes at Northern Cheyenne are part of a larger Red Feather Development Group initiative, building super-insulated housing 

through all volunteer builds. The Owe’neh Bupingeh Rehabilitation Project incorporates new technologies to preserve and stabilize 

ancient adobe homes, with an education and research component informed by cultural leaders and homeowners. Many of these 

projects were built using multiple funding sources—some as many as 13. They often utilized the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) funding to creatively leverage additional resources. The Ysleta del Sur Low-Income 

Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Pueblo Homes project was the first tribal LIHTC project in Texas, which required a high degree of 

partnership-building and tenacity. Penobscot succeeded in its goal to design new financing products so young families could move 

back to tribal land and participate in their cultural heritage. 
31 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

BEST PRACTICES | CULTURE

How do culture and heritage impact 

the way we build housing? 

Heritage

Gathering

Off-Grid

Traditional

Lifeways CULTURE

These featured projects demonstrate that affordable, cost-effective, and healthy housing can be specific to each culture, place, and 

climate. Most of the projects that incorporated culturally based design strategies did so through a strong community-engagement 

process, meeting with various user groups, including potential residents, community members, elders, youth, and cultural leaders. 

In the Penobscot Nation, such meetings helped define not just the tribe’s housing needs but also its health and wellness needs, 

together with a stronger connection to cultural heritage. The Penobscot decided to incorporate a trails network and cultural elements as part of the site planning for their homes, to honor their river and community connections to it and to provide health 

benefits by encouraging walking. The Puyallup Tribe returned to its cultural housing form, the longhouse, which was reinterpreted 

in a contemporary context and is helping rebuild a sense of community. A primary goal of the Teekalet Village Housing project 

was to protect the salmon hatchery near the project, which was accomplished by specifically designing watershed protection 

systems from the housing site downstream. Because the project team for Owe’neh Bupingeh worked closely with many different 

project stakeholders, more than half the homes in the sacred and cultural core of Ohkay Owingeh have been rehabilitated by tribal 

members using indigenous methods and materials. The project team for Devine Legacy, which is oriented toward urban Indians in 

Phoenix, needed a universal approach to incorporating cultural elements, because families of many traditions would live there. To 

meet these challenges, the project team based its design on the ancient Hohokam culture, one of the first settled people in this 

area. Many project teams, such as the Diné who worked with Indigenous Community Enterprises (ICE) to develop Elder Hooghan 

Homes, worked directly with the homeowners to ensure the project met their needs and incorporated traditional elements, such as 

east-facing entries. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 32

Navajo Nation NAVAJO | NHA PLANNING MANUAL

DEC 2011 JAN 2012 FEB 2013

Need identifiedJAN 2011

Enterprise Green Communities Charrette HUD SCinIC technical assistance begins Completion SNCC green planning workshop

JULY 2011

Request for proposal 

FEB 2012

Planning charrettes 

JULY 2012

Client: Navajo Housing Authority (NHA) Partners: Enterprise Community Partners, Inc

Architect/Planners: Swaback Partners, pllc Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative (SNCC)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Sustainable 

Construction in Indian Country Initiative (SCinIC)

SUSTAINABLE PLANNING

The Navajo Housing Authority (NHA) undertook the ambitious task 

of creating a sustainable planning framework for the Navajo Nation, 

the largest tribal membership and land base in the United States, that 

includes 5 agencies, 24 regions, and 110 chapters. The goal was to lay 

out a framework for 34,000 housing units that will satisfy the need for 

sustainable and cultural housing on the Navajo Nation. This effort included site planning meetings with each agency, followed by planning 

sessions with each region and its respective chapters. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Understanding the importance of 

directly engaging the community at the 

grassroots level can help gain insight into a 

community’s needs and culture.

•Using “smart growth” planning strategies 

must be modified for a rural context with 

limited infrastructure, remote sites, and a 

traditional rural culture that values very low 

densities.

BEST PRACTICES

•Community-based planning methodologies 

were developed to directly engage the 

community through onsite workshops and 

charrettes.

•Tribal professionals, housing authority 

staff, and students were all involved in the 

engagement process.

•Regional planning must achieve sustainable 

goals that are specific to culture and climate.

Southwest

Density

Tribal Partnerships

Codes

34,000 UNITS 

IMPACT

REGIONAL PLANNING 

PLANNING

RANGE OF DENSITIES

SITE

TRIBAL CODES

INNOVATION

LEARNING FROM ELDERS 

CULTURE

FUTURE GENERATIONS

GREEN

Engagement 

Drawing by Swaback Partners, pllc

Drawing by Swaback Partners, pllc

NUMBER UNITS PLANNED FOR:

34,000

* Dashed lines indicate

potential impact of all 

categories as shown.
33 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

NHA PLANNING MANUAL

CONTEXT

Relative to the United States overall, housing on the Navajo Nation is generally are smaller and in very poor condition, with 

overcrowding and limited access to utilities. The Navajo Nation population is relatively young, poor, and underemployed. A 

number of factors affect housing needs on the Navajo Nation, including geographic dispersal across the reservation, affordability 

of housing, existing housing conditions, and inventory. The 2009 Navajo Housing Authority (NHA) Housing Needs Assessment 

estimates a total need for 34,000 new and replacement units of housing and a need to expand 8,500 existing homes to 

accommodate growing families. Some 60 percent of Navajo Nation housing structures are single-family homes, 17 percent are 

mobile homes, and 11 percent are traditional hooghan. The remaining 12 percent are made up of multifamily attached housing units 

and a variety of other unit types. It is estimated that 5 percent of all children on the reservation live in housing classified simply as 

“available shelter,” which is defined as non-standard housing of the lowest quality. Because available shelter is comparable to tents 

or shacks and is not suitable shelter in extreme weather, this situation indicates a dire housing need.

Photo: Daniel Glenn Photo: Swaback Partners, pllc

Photo: Swaback Partners, pllc

Photo: Daniel Glenn

Photo: Daniel Glenn Photo: Daniel Glenn

Many community meetings were held during the planning process. COMMUNITY 

The Navajo Nation has the largest land area of any tribe in the United States: 

more than 24 million square miles in four states—Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and 

New Mexico—and a population of approximately 300,000 tribal members. A major 

goal was to help the Navajo Housing Authority (NHA) identify appropriate land for 

new housing while offering sustainable planning approaches for housing patterns 

and designs that would align with Navajo culture, regional climate, and community 

needs. Each chapter is required to have Chapter Land Use Plans (CLUPs) 

identifying land for various uses. Through the planning process, the planning 

team determined that these CLUPs do not identify enough land to accommodate 

a projected need of 34,000 new housing units. Symbol of Navajo Nation with 5 Agencies, 

24 Regions, and 110 Chapters
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 34

NHA PLANNING MANUAL

CULTURE

In the Navajo (Diné) way of life, the concept of “hózhóogo naasháa doo,” “walking in beauty,” is an ancient term describing a 

sustainable way of life, “steeped in the land, water, air, sun, and seasons.” As described in the NHA Planning Manual, “the Diné are 

meant to live off the land in beauty, harmony, happiness, and in the “hózhó” way of life, in balance with the natural environment.” 

The planning effort sought to bring this way of thinking into dialogue with tribal members in the development of a sustainable 

framework for designing new communities on Navajo land. There was a challenge in this process, however, given the history of 

the Navajo as rural people living as sheepherders in small, remote, multigenerational family clusters. Although this rural lifestyle 

remains the preferred way of life for many Navajo, it can conflict with other sustainability goals, such as walkable, more compact 

communities, less reliance on automobiles, and mitigating costly infrastructure and services to remote communities. Many Navajo 

now live in highly urbanized contexts, either in communities on the Navajo Nation, or off reservation in urban areas. To reach this 

Diné diaspora, planners will have to address both the traditional and the urban Navajo.

Different Patterns of Rural Development

Drawings: Swaback Partners, pllc PROCESS

Housing generously spaced and 

oriented around native open space.

Housing close together, with large, 

surrounding lots for farming and 

animal pens.

Housing connected by pedestrian 

networks to community amenities 

beyond.

The master planning effort began in January 2011 at a meeting of NHA leadership, led by Chief Executive Officer Aneva Yazzie 

and was further developed in a visioning workshop led by the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative (SNCC) in the 

summer of 2011. In December 2011, SNCC led an Enterprise Green Communities Charrette with NHA leadership to begin work 

on a sustainability standard for new housing developments. In 2012, with technical support from the U.S. Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD), Sustainable Construction in Indian Country (SCinIC) Initiative, a request for proposal was issued to develop a 

planning manual. Swaback Partners, pllc, was selected for the project, which was completed in the spring of 2013.

The planning process was organized in three phases.

 Phase one: Site reconnaissance and evaluation.

 Phase two: Programming confirmation and refinement.

 Phase three: Prototypical plans and sustainable community master plans.

The planning team engaged the community representatives at each phase. Extensive planning workshops and site visits took place 

across the entire Navajo Nation, with daylong charrettes in each of the 24 regions. These planning meetings were instrumental 

in getting direct, hands-on input from tribal members. Following these planning meetings, NHA requested individual meetings 

with each of the 110 chapters to understand its individual community needs. The process was also an opportunity to gain a better 

understanding of specific regional needs across Navajo Nation and how new developments across the reservation could be better 

coordinated and better linked to serve the communities.
35 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

NHA PLANNING MANUAL

Drawing: Swaback Partners, pllc

NEXT STEPS 

Definition of Appropriate Housing Typologies:

The planning process identified five different types of housing: (1) single-family detached, (2) single-family attached, (3) 

multigenerational homes, (4) apartments, and (5) senior living. Concepts for these building types will be developed as potential 

prototypes for development.

Design of Demonstration Projects:

The NHA is now planning to develop a series of demonstration projects on a larger scale to test the larger planning goals and 

sustainability strategies for implementation across the nation, in the build-out of a projected need for 34,000 homes.

HUD Sustainable Construction in Indian Country Initiative (SCinIC):

The HUD SCinIC technical assistance team was part of the planning process, which led to new policy recommendations that the 

NHA will use to carry out the goals of the master plan as well as the larger goals of fostering more sustainable communities on the 

Navajo Nation. The following recommendations were approved by the NHA board and are being implemented as policy:

- Develop an interdisciplinary NHA design review committee to develop a Navajo sustainability standard and guide the 

 design/planning process.

- Base the Navajo sustainability standard on the national Enterprise Green Communities Criteria and implement a 

 modified version of this standard immediately on all planned projects.

- Revise the NHA request for proposal/request for qualifications selection process for design professionals to reflect 

 sustainable/cultural goals.

- Adopt a community-based design/planning process for all new development and new housing types.

 Vision for the downtown core of Shiprock, New Mexico, can help set in motion a range of possibilities for future 

community needs.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 36

Guadalupe, AZ PASCUA YAQUI | GUADALUPE HOUSE

MAY 2006 OCT 2006 JAN 2007

Community designNOV 2005

Construction design/build Substantial completion Occupied Completion of construction 

DEC 2006

Client: Bejarano Family Design/Build Team: Hoopa Valley Tribal Community Conservation Corp,

Architect/Developer: Arizona State University (ASU) Stardust Center Valley of the Sun Habitat for Humanity, and

Design/Build Team: Daniel Glenn, Design Director Americorps

Ernesto Fonseca, Construction/Energy Modeling, Partners: Town of Guadalupe, Navajo FlexCrete DESERT DESIGNED

The Guadalupe House is a low-cost home designed for the harsh desert climate of the Valley of the Sun, and reflects the unique cultures 

of the Latino and Yaqui communities of Guadalupe. It is a multigenerational house, designed to be expanded over time and accommodate several generations living in one household. With a passive solar 

design, photovoltaic panels, water-cooled solar-powered air conditioning, and aerated concrete walls of Navajo FlexCrete, it requires 

minimal external energy to operate.

Single Family

Southwest

Water

Management

Tribal Density Solar

Materials 

REGIONAL MODEL

IMPACT

DESERT BASED 

DESIGN

XERISCAPED

SITE

NAVAJO FLEXCRETE 

INNOVATION

YAQUI/MEXICAN AMERICAN 

CULTURE

LEED

GREEN

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•There is value in a community working 

together with universities in the 

development of new designs and materials 

for new housing.

•Culturally relevant, sustainable housing can 

be adopted on a larger scale for new housing 

developments. 

BEST PRACTICES

•Passive cooling ventilation, passive solar 

heating, and photovoltaic solar panels were 

incorporated.

•Greywater reuse and rainwater harvesting, 

together with a series of cisterns, are 

featured.

•The house is designed to reflect and 

celebrate traditional Mexican culture.

•The project makes use of Navajo FlexCrete, 

a lightweight highly insulated and tribally 

produced material.

Photo: Michael Pyatok

Photo: Michael Pyatok Photo: Michael Pyatok

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$140,000

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$140,000

COST PER SQ FOOT:

$93

COST PER UNIT: 

$140,000

TOTAL UNITS:

1
37 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

GUADALUPE HOUSE

CULTURE

Guadalupe is a predominantly Pascua Yaqui and Mexican-American community between Phoenix and Tempe. Its residents have 

preserved a degree of cultural and geographic uniqueness while participating in the economic and political structures of Phoenix’s 

society. Many components of the home are designed to meet the standards for minimal energy usage. The outside courtyard is 

equipped with a shaded trellis and water fountain to keep it cool and comfortable. The courtyard additionally serves as a place for 

traditional large family gatherings. The carport serves as an outdoor ramada. Other cultural elements include a combined kitchen/

dining/living area, making the kitchen the heart of the home. As a multigenerational household, a separate casita serves as a room 

for a young adult or child. On the porch there is a specially designed niche for the Virgin of Guadalupe.

PROCESS

Public meetings were held to develop the design of the home, 

with the participation and support of the city council and 

mayor. Meetings were held in the town hall, which included 

design workshops and presentations/discussions of the design 

concepts. Educational presentations included information on 

regional and Yaqui traditions, design techniques, and case 

studies to respond to the desert climate.

DESIGN

This home was designed as a prototype for the town of 

Guadalupe, its climate, and its culture. The design was 

developed in a “kit-of-parts” workshop process with 

community members and the homeowners, the Bejarano 

family. Several key elements came out of this process, 

including a courtyard-style design for cross ventilation; the 

creation of a large shaded outdoor space for large family 

gatherings; the separation of the master bedroom for the 

elder homeowners from the bedrooms for their adult children; 

the inclusion of a “casita,“ a small, separate guest room 

for visiting family members or adult children; the capacity 

to expand the home upward, to add additional rooms or an 

apartment for the expanding family; the incorporation of a 

carport, both for cars and as a outdoor “ramada,” a shade 

structure to use for large family gatherings; and the centrality 

of the kitchen opening directly to the living/dining areas.

This project is helping us build a 

dream home, but in an affordable 

way. We love the design of our new 

home and look forward to living in 

it as a family. - Olivia Bejarano, homeowner 

Photo: Michael Pyatok

Drawing by ASU Star Dust 

GREEN

This Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes 

Gold project focuses on utility reduction and low-maintenance core 

design principles, with a minimal cooling need and reducing heating. 

Sunlight is largely used in place of artificial lighting, and proper shading 

and orientation protect the home during summer months. Thick walls 

made of Navajo FlexCrete provide an insulation that maintains a balanced 

temperature within the home year round, reducing heating and cooling 

requirements. Rooftop solar panels donated by ASU’s Photovoltaic Energy 

Lab are expected to provide 90 percent of the home’s electrical energy 

needs. Other green features include a tankless water heating system, 

ENERGY STAR windows, and highly insulated rooftop structural panels with 

a non-toxic coating that reflects solar heat. The roof is also a rainwaterharvesting system that collects water for future use, with a potential 

savings of 5,000 gallons per year. A greywater collection system was 

integrated into the design for the dual-flush toilets and irrigation of the 

courtyard.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 38

Crow Agency, MT APSÁALOOKE (CROW) TRIBE | GOOD EARTH LODGES

2010 2012 Present 

Start of materials research 2009

Concept and design development Substantial completion Project ongoing Start of construction 

2011

Occupied 2012

Client: Apsáalooke Nation Housing Authority Engineering: University of Colorado Boulder

Developer: Good Earth Lodges Engineering Research : Mortenson Center in Engineering for Developing 

Designers: Tom Bowen, Matthew Jelacic, Rob Pyatt Communities (MCEDC)

Design Team: University of Colorado Boulder 

EARTH BLOCK HOMES

The Apsáalooke Nation Housing Authority’s Good Earth Lodges project 

is the culmination of a research and development project funded by 

the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development. It has three 

objectives: to determine if the raw materials needed for compressed earth 

blocks could be found on the Crow Indian Reservation, if the blocks could 

withstand Montana’s extreme climate, and if a tribal workforce could be 

put in place to carry out the program. With technical assistance from 

the University of Colorado Boulder’s Mortenson Cener in Engineering for 

Developing Communities (MCEDC), the project is meeting these goals. 

Seven homes have been completed and six more are nearing completion. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•The material and human resources for developing 

climate-appropriate new housing exist on the 

Crow Indian Reservation.

•In the future the community would prefer site 

and unit planning based on Crow traditions, such 

as positioning buildings in a circle. 

•Critical partnerships can help to realize local 

capacity.

BEST PRACTICES

•Affordable housing can both help to alleviate 

homelessness and provide a pathway to skills 

building and tribal employment.

•Passive solar orientation and design, combined 

with compressed earth block construction, 

provides excellent passive heating during harsh 

Montana winters.

•Each home has space for large family gatherings. 

Northern Plains

Single Family

Passive 

Solar

Natural Partnership

Building

LOCAL ECONOMY

IMPACT

PASSIVE SOLAR

DESIGN

INFILL DEVELOPMENT

SITE

COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCK

INNOVATION

LARGE GATHERING SPACE

CULTURE

LOCAL MATERIALS

GREEN

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST: 

$1.38M

COST PER SQ FOOT: 

$157

COST PER UNIT: 

$197,000

TOTAL UNITS: 

7

Engagement

Photo: Richard Neill

Photo: Richard Neill
39 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

GOOD EARTH LODGES

CONTEXT

The Apsáalooke Crow Tribe is located in south-central 

Montana and is the largest American Indian reservation in 

the state. Like many American Indian tribes, the Crow are 

a proud people with strong cultural traditions, but they 

are plagued with high unemployment, high poverty rates, 

and a shortage of adequate housing. Few opportunities 

are available for private enterprise or jobs on the reservation; this lack coincides with a lack of skilled workers. 

Problems are exacerbated by the reservation’s extreme 

climate, with temperatures as low as -40°F in the winter 

and as high as 110°F in the summer. Many tribal members live in houses that are poorly suited to the climate, 

racking up extremely high utility bills, as much as $500 

per month in the winter. (From Crow Tribe/Good Earth 

Lodges by Tim Sullivan.)

COMMUNITY

On the Crow Indian Reservation, most of the existing houses 

are aged stick-frame and trailer homes. Approximately 8,000 

tribal members live on the Crow Reservation. In 1997, the 

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) identified a need for 1,040 

new housing units. This need has increased to approximately 

1,500 units. The BIA recorded that 370 (48 percent) of the 

reservation’s 1,130 housing units are in substandard condition. 

Although a large population of homeless people live on the 

reservation, they are mostly unseen because families take in 

members, which leads to overcrowding. 

SITE

Seven completed homes are on scattered sites in two 

communities, Crow Agency and Lodge Grass. Another six 

homes are under construction in a new subdivision located in Crow Agency, on the western side of the community 

and on a high windswept plateau overlooking the Little 

Bighorn Valley where most of the homes are located. 

Photo: Richard Neill

We needed land for more housing, 

and started to identify property 

throughout the reservation based 

on factors like water, sewer, and 

infrastructure. - Michael Stewart, ANHA
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 40

GOOD EARTH LODGES

DESIGN

The single-family homes were designed with participation 

from community members who wanted a large, shared 

open space that combines kitchen, living, and dining into 

a single space, and a vaulted ceiling that would open up to 

the south, allowing the warm winter sun in and blocking 

the summer sun. This responds to the need for a large interior space for family gatherings and to the centrality of 

food in the Crow culture. Bedrooms are relatively small to 

maximize the large shared space and to provide space for 

storage. The homes are built using a double-wythe earth 

block construction technique. Each compressed earth 

block weighs 28 pounds. The walls of the houses are built 

with two rows of the 7-inch blocks, with the 4-inch space 

in between filled with insulation, creating an 18-inch total 

wall thickness. The roofs on the first seven homes were 

built using structural insulated panels. This technique 

was modified to trusses and spray-on insulation in later 

designs to reduce costs and simplify construction.

GREEN

The houses feature a passive solar design, with south-facing 

facades containing a trio of sliding glass doors and high windows. No windows are on the east side of the house to protect 

from the summer’s harsh sun. The exterior shell is primarily 

compressed earth block construction made of locally sourced 

materials and labor. Vaulted ceilings provide natural light and 

improve ventilation through the structure. The first seven 

homes have ground-source heat pumps. The current designs 

use standard heat pumps to reduce the cost and simplify 

construction. 

2 Bedrooms | 1 Story | Floor Plan

Large south-facing windows allow 

passive solar heating in winter.

Ample storage 

Wooden deck encourages outdoor 

activity during warmer months. 

Eastern entry and 

vestibules provide 

airlock to reduce air 

infiltration to the 

home. 

The super-insulated wall is 

constructed of two rows of earth 

block with a 4-inch insulation 

between the block. 

Small northern windows minimize 

heat loss in winter.

Large family gathering spaces 

reflect a cultural planning tradition. 

Exterior porch encourages 

outdoor activities during warmer 

months.

Drawing by Good Earth Lodges 

CULTURE

The design of the Crow Good Earth Lodges is in response to the needs of the larger, multigenerational families typical of the Crow 

community. The intent, however, is to build more houses to lessen the demand for housing, so that the need for more than one 

generation to share a single house is reduced. Multigenerational families living under one roof is not a cultural preference but a 

forced condition based on limited availability of housing. The large gathering space is important for large family gatherings and a 

relatively communal lifestyle.

We would rather utilize the heat 

on the southern facing wall during 

the winter and then block that sun 

during the summer months.

- Larry Falls Down
41 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

GOOD EARTH LODGES

INNOVATION

Creating a new material and a new production process 

while training workers in both the production of the material and its use in construction was challenging, but there 

is great pride in the project and the way in which Crow resources and Crow tribal members were used to construct 

these homes. The external collaboration between the University of Colorado Boulder and the Apsáalooke Nation 

Housing Authority has been embraced by all who have 

participated in the projects. Involvement of the university 

in the project has been instrumental both in providing 

technical and management support and also in providing 

continuity, as the staffing within the housing authority 

has continued to change due to internal challenges and 

changes in government during the life of the project.

VISION

The long-term vision in collaboration with the Division of Energy and Mineral Development is to continue to develop and 

enhance the tribe’s ability to identify resources that enhance 

its economic stability. The Good Earth Lodges project starts 

to achieve that vision. Historically, the focus was to extract 

resources on tribal lands. This project, although challenging, 

identifies a series of solutions for issues on the Crow Reservation, such as addressing unemployment and the need for job 

training, addressing the critical need for housing, and identifying resources on tribal lands that can be used in construction 

and tribal enterprise. 

The Crow people believe that they have 

three mothers. The first is the woman 

who gives birth to the child. The last is 

Mother Earth, who the people go back to 

when they die. And then the home, the 

lodge is our mother, it protects us as we 

are being raised, coming up in this world.

- Cedric Black Eagle

Photo: Richard Neill

Photo: Apsáalooke Nation Housing Authority Photo: Apsáalooke Nation Housing Authority LESSONS LEARNED/CONCLUSION

The Good Earth Lodges project explores the potential for sovereign nations to produce 

their own building materials and use their own labor to create more sustainable, locally 

based economies. It is an excellent example of how universities can collaborate with tribal 

communities to develop projects that fit the needs and achieve the vision of the community. 

The project also provides lessons about the challenges of achieving locally produced, locally 

sourced, and locally built houses. Moving outside of conventional construction practices and 

materials presents significant challenges, but it also allows for creative solutions. It allows 

tribes to work outside the conventional marketplace to provide innovative products and 

approaches to achieve many additional benefits beyond the provision of housing.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 42

MAR 2010 AUG 2011 MAR 2012

Community designMAY 2009

Completion of schematic design Completion of rec center Housing occupied Funding application 

JULY 2009

Construction starts on rec centerNOV 2010

Construction starts on housingMAY 2010

Tacoma, WA PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS | PLACE OF HIDDEN WATERS

Client/Developer: Puyallup Nation Housing Authority Civil Engineer: Haozous Engineering

Design Architect: Daniel Glenn, AIA, NCARB Structural Engineer Malsam Tsang Engineering Corporation 

Architecture Firm Environmental Works Landscape Architect: Thomas Rengstorf and Associates

Contractor: Puyallup Nation Housing Authority and Marpac Partner: Ecotope CULTURAL FORM

Place of Hidden Waters represents culturally and environmentally responsive new housing for the Puyallup Tribe in the Pacific Northwest, 

one that achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design 

(LEED) for Homes Platinum certification. The project is located on 

traditional Puyallup tribal lands on a hill overlooking the Puget Sound 

tidal flats. The design emulates the rectangular, shed-roofed form of 

a traditional Coast Salish longhouse, using a variation of the modern 

townhouse courtyard. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

Northwest

Multifamily

Renewable

Energy

Water 

Management

Cultural 

Form

NATIONAL MODEL

IMPACT

COMMUNITY INTEGRATED DESIGN

DESIGN

HABITAT PRESERVATION

SITE

XERISCAPE + RAIN GARDENS

INNOVATION

LONGHOUSE FORM

CULTURE

LEED PLATINUM

GREEN

LESSONS LEARNED

•Affordable tribal housing can achieve LEED 

Platinum certification and be a national 

housing model.

•Resident and staff participation in the design 

process was a critical ingredient to the 

project’s success. 

•Careful study of historic precedents can 

provide inspiration for modern living. 

Engagement

BEST PRACTICES

•An integrative process was key to the 

design from the beginning, following the 

requirements for LEED for Homes. 

•The vision for the project came from 

engagement among the housing authority, 

community, and architect. The project was 

developed through careful site evaluation, 

historic precedents, and green building 

goals. 

•Consistent project leadership by housing 

staff allowed for continuity. * Estimated costs

Photo: Tucker English

Photo: Tucker English

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$6.6M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

Phase I: $2.6M Phase II: $2.1M*

COST PER SQ FOOT:

Phase I: $166 Phase II: $135*

COST PER UNIT: 

Phase I: $260,000

 Phase II: $210,000*

TOTAL UNITS:

20
43 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

PLACE OF HIDDEN WATERS 

CONTEXT

Located near the city of Tacoma, the project lies between 

a midcentury, single-family development and a forested 

habitat corridor. The site is 75 percent flat, giving way to a 

gently sloping, big leaf maple forest and dropping steeply 

toward the west into a seasonal creek called Julia’s Gulch. 

The gulch feeds into Commencement Bay via the Hylebos 

Waterway, which historically is one of the most productive 

salmon runs in the state of Washington. It was critical that 

the project have no negative impact on this important 

habitat.

INNOVATION

The residential buildings are sited along an east-west axis 

to allow for prevailing summer breezes and for passive solar heating/cooling. It was initially designed with a “solarready” roof design for future installment of a photovoltaic 

array (to be installed in phase two). This design, combined 

with the installation of ground-source heat pumps, is targeted to yield a zero-energy building. (Phase II does not 

use ground-source heat pumps.)

DESIGN

Of the three buildings in the newly developed area, two are 

10-unit townhouse clusters designed to emulate the traditional Coastal Salish “longhouse” in which multiple families 

shared a single long building and a shared linear gathering 

space. The one- and two-story townhomes face a central, 

partially covered courtyard, with an orientation that maximizes natural light, views, and cross ventilation in every room. 

On the south side are five one-story, one-bedroom homes, 

designed for seniors or disabled residents as fully accessible 

units. On the north side are two-story, two-bedroom homes 

for small families. The shed roof is partially open to the 

spaces below, adding height and daylight to the homes. The 

newly renovated and expanded gymnasium building is located 

between the two developments, with new community rooms, 

a kitchen, and office space. A “community living room” with a 

gas fireplace serves as an informal meeting space for storytelling and conversation. 

Site plan: Phase I

Drawing: Environmental Works

Typical two bedroom unit

Typical one bedroom unit

Dance circle 

and arbor

Gymnasium

Community 

living room

SITE

The project site is located in a wooded, suburban area adjacent to 27 units of Puyallup Nation Housing Authority (PNHA) rental townhouses built in the 1980s. The site 

originally included an abandoned youth home and a deteriorated gymnasium. The 

wooded area is sloped, overlooking the Puget Sound tidal flats, with a wildlife corridor on the lower slope, which has been redeveloped with a nature trail leading to 

a sweat lodge area. Rain gardens and native plants help to provide a natural setting, 

minimize irrigation, and protect the Puget Sound from runoff. The site amenities include a dance arbor, playground, salmon-bake pit, sweat lodge area, and walking trail.

Photo: Tucker English Salmon-bake pit
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 44

PLACE OF HIDDEN WATERS

COMMUNITY PROCESS

Resident and staff participation in the design process 

was a critical ingredient in the project’s success. Design 

workshops were held in the old gymnasium, and residents 

were invited to give input. Additional design meetings 

with maintenance and operations staff were held at the 

Puyallup Nation Housing Authority (PNHA) offices. Residents and staff also helped to deconstruct the abandoned 

youth home and clean the wooded site. 

LEED

An integrative design process was key to the design from the 

beginning and also met the LEED for Homes requirements. An 

interdisciplinary green charrette was held at the outset, which 

included the full design team and PNHA staff. Agreement was 

made to pursue a LEED for Homes Platinum certification, if 

it could be achieved within the budget. This early decision 

helped to guide the process from the beginning and brought 

the design team, contractors, construction manager, and staff 

together to achieve this goal.

Shed style frame, Lummi, Washington 

Daylight from above, Chinook 

Shed-style longhouse interior, Klallam Salish 

Photo: Tucker English

Photo: Tucker English

CULTURE

The housing and the community center designs emulate the traditional multifamily cedar plank longhouses of the Puyallup Tribe, 

a housing type common throughout Pacific Northwest Salish tribes. Multiple families were housed in linear shed- or gable-roofed 

structures sharing a long, central, linear gathering space with sleeping spaces on either side. This design was redefined in this project in contemporary terms as a linear courtyard, partially covered, with townhomes lining either side. The courtyard, like the longhouse, creates a shared common area and protected entry area, which is intended to encourage community interaction, provides 

safe play space for children, and ensures greater security for each family. Like the longhouse, Place of Hidden Waters is designed 

as a single, repeatable modular structure. The existing gable-roofed, cinder-block gymnasium was renovated and extended to the 

south, emulating the way longhouse structures were added onto for additional families. A community living room with its own 

fireplace, offices, kitchen, and activity rooms is housed in this two-story addition to the gym. A salmon-bake fire pit on the southfacing community front porch is used for traditional salmon bakes. A nature trail leads to a site for a sweat structure in a wooded 

park to the west.
45 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

PLACE OF HIDDEN WATERS 

INNOVATION

The project was managed and built by tribal members— 

force-account labor crews from the Puyallup Nation 

Housing Authority (PNHA) combined with an experienced 

construction manager who developed training apprenticeships. The contract documents were divided into two separate bid packages to facilitate this training component, 

with the community center, gymnasium, site redevelopment, and infrastructure under one contract, and the vertical construction of the housing, built by the PTHA crews, 

under another contract. The housing features structural 

insulated panel (SIP) construction, which facilitated rapid 

construction and assured a very tight building envelope. 

Tribal workers were trained in SIP/ technology and installation. The modular design allowed for the crews to learn 

on the first units and speed up production on the rest of 

the development. 

VISION

The design evolved from concept through construction, 

integrating a community process in which the vision for the 

project came from engagement with the client and the community, with careful study of historic precedents and culture 

and with analysis of the site and its challenging opportunities. 

Photo: Tucker English

Photo: Tucker English

Photo: Tucker English

This project is not only protecting 

Mother Earth, it is transforming 

lives. The design encourages 

community interaction. Our tenants 

are gardening, cooking, learning, 

praying, and living in concert 

together, like we have done for 

generations. - Annette Bryan, PNHA

LESSONS LEARNED/CONCLUSION

This project provides a strong example of sustainable and culturally responsive housing. For 

centuries, the Coastal Salish people lived in cedar plank longhouses in the Pacific Northwest. 

Ideal for a rainy climate, this compact, multifamily dwelling type also reduces environmental 

impact. The project type also provides a highly communal environment, although there was 

concern that perhaps it was “too” communal for today’s tribal people, who are accustomed 

to a more individualized contemporary lifestyle. However, interviews with current residents 

demonstrated that the design has been well received by the residents. Place of Hidden Waters 

also proves that a tribal project can be a model for green housing nationwide, even beyond 

tribal housing. The project received the Project of the Year Award by LEED for Homes as well as 

recognition through the 2013 Social Economic Environmental Design (SEED) Awards, the 2011 

Excellence in Affordable Housing Award, and locally through a Tacoma Pierce County Housing 

Consortium for Sustainability award.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 46

El Paso, TX YSLETA DEL SUR | LIHTC PUEBLO HOMES

July 2008 2009 FEB 2011

Tax credit application 2006

Tax credit awarded Construction starts Construction complete and project fully rented 

Client: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Housing Department Syndicator: Raymond James Financial, Inc

Developer: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Development Consultants: Travois, LIHTC consultant 

Architect : CEA Group

ACCESS TO RESOURCES 

Ysleta del Sur Pueblo is located within the cities of El Paso 

and Socorro, Texas. This Low-Income Housing Tax Credit 

(LIHTC) Pueblo Homes project is situated in a 66-acre master 

planned community called District II in Socorro. As a clustered 

multiuse project, this mix of single-family and multifamily 

homes is in a 60-unit development, with 30 duplexes and 

30 single-family homes. Additional site elements include 

a playground/picnic area and community center/police 

substation. The project is the first Native American LIHTC 

project in Texas. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•When tackling a complex tax credit project there 

are multiple obstacles to surmount, including 

understanding the application process, and 

structuring the project within the required 

scoring criteria and thresholds.

•Partnerships are critical to successful, first-time 

projects between a tribe and state.

BEST PRACTICES

•Consultants were brought on early to design a 

master plan and to understand the market and 

the environmental impact.

•Though it took time, every available source of 

funding was used to raise the needed dollars, 

including leveraging loans and grants through 

regional, county, and state organizations.

•100 percent of stormwater was retained on the 

site.

Southern Plains

Single Family,

Attached + Detached

Water

Management

Envelope Weaving Modular

FIRST TRIBAL LIHTC IN TX

IMPACT

PUEBLO 

DESIGN

CLUSTERED 

SITE

CREATIVE FINANCING 

INNOVATION

BUILDING COMMUNITY 

CULTURE

ENERGY STAR

GREEN

*Estimated costs 

Photo: SNCC

Drawing by CEA Group

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 

$7.59M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$6.58M

COSTS PER SQ FOOT:

$102*

COST PER UNIT: 

$109,000

TOTAL UNITS:

60
47 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

LIHTC PUEBLO HOMES

Garage

GREEN

In addition to full stormwater runoff retention, 

structural insulated panels (SIPs) provide a 

continuous R-23 value for thermal resistance. 

Openings on the western facades are kept to a 

minimum to control heat gain, and all windows 

are equipped with double-pane low-emissivity 

glazing, with internal blinds for reduced thermal 

conductivity. Plumbing fixtures are low flow, and 

furnaces are ENERGY STAR rated. Native and 

drought-tolerant landscaping was planted, using 

xeriscape methods to minimize irrigation.

CONTEXT

The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo is situated just north of 

Mexico along the Rio Grande. The primary reservation 

community is one mile northeast of the Zaragoza 

International border between the United States 

and Mexico. The land configuration is referred to as 

“checkerboard,” with tribal trust land and non-tribal 

land pieced together with non-contiguous boundaries.

Typical Floor Plan 

9% Misc. soft 

cost 

38%

Infrastructure 

44%

Building 

Construction 

2% Architecture and 

engineering fees

4% Land improvements 

Project cost breakdown 

38%

Infrastructure

funded by

LVWD

TXDOT

FHA

35%

LIHTC

14%

Misc. 

Funding 

4% Home 

Loan Bank

3% Native 

American Housing 

Assistance and Self 

Determination Act

6% Ysleta loan to project 

Project funding sources

Bedrooms

Living 

Kitchen + dining 

Covered entry 

Garage

Photo: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Housing Department 

Drawing: Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Housing Department

INNOVATION-FINANCING

The tribe partnered with local, state, and federal 

agencies to help fund $6 million in infrastructure 

costs, such as a lift station that was partly funded 

by the Lower Valley Water District (LVWD), traffic 

lights that were funded by the Texas Department 

of Transportation (TXDOT), and roads that 

were partially funded by the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHA).

INNOVATION-PARTNERS

The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Housing Department 

completed the first Native American Low-Income 

Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) project in Texas, utilizing 

multiple sources of funding. This was accomplished by 

developing partnerships with tax credit consultants 

and investors who understood the project’s scope and 

intent and who helped negotiate the multiple levels of 

compliance required by state funding agencies.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 48

2007 2010 JULY 2013

Preservation education program2006

Oral histories + mapping

20 homes Phase I and Phase II Phase I begins construction

29 homesPhase I–III complete Preservation plan + MOU

2008

Ohkay Owingeh, NM OHKAY OWINGEH | OWE’NEH BUPINGEH

Client: Ohkay Owingeh Development Consultant: Concept Consulting Group

Developer: Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority Partners: HUD Office of Native American Program, Chamiza Foundation, 

Architect: Atkin Olshin Scade Architects National Park Service, NM Mortgage Finance Authority, NM 

Contractor: Avanyu General Contracting, Inc. Historic Preservation Division, McCune Charitable Foundation, 

National Trust for Historic Preservation

TRIBAL PRESERVATION

South West

Multifamily

Natural Training

Materials 

Heritage

REGIONAL MODEL

IMPACT

COMMUNITY-BASED

DESIGN

TRADITIONAL SETTLEMENT

SITE

PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY + TRAINING

INNOVATION

YOUTH + ELDERS

CULTURE

NATURAL MATERIAL

GREEN

Owe’neh Bupingeh, the traditional name for the Ohkay Owingeh 

village center, is believed to have been occupied for at least 700 years. 

Owe’neh Bupingeh is composed of four plazas, surrounded in the past 

by several hundred homes. Sixty of the homes remain, most of which 

had been abandoned by 2005 due to deterioration. This multiphased 

project balances rehabilitation with functional renovations of the homes, 

permitting contemporary life and cultural traditions to comfortably 

coexist and allowing families to return to the sacred core of the Pueblo. 

Approximately half of the construction crew were tribal members. 

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Involving many different community groups, 

including elders and youth, can provide a 

strong first step to define the vision and gain 

support.

•Developing partnerships with state and 

federal agencies can help define new 

pathways toward compliance and build 

enthusiasm.

BEST PRACTICES

•A strong preservation technology component 

combined with training and employment led 

to almost 50 percent employment by tribal 

members. 

•Understanding the cultural resources 

philosophy of tribal leaders helped identify an 

alternative pathway to Section 106 (Historic 

Preservation) compliance. 

•Being prepared through long-term planning 

can lead to “shovel-ready” funding to kickstart a project.

TOTAL PROJECT COSTS: 

$7.1M

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$5.1M

COST PER SQ FOOT: 

Phases I-II: $115 | Phase III: $133

COST PER UNIT: 

$175,000

TOTAL UNITS: 

29

Engagement

Photo: Kate Russell 

Drawing: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 
49 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

OWE’NEH BUPINGEH

CONTEXT

In the past, the connected house blocks of this traditional 

village supported a social structure that knitted the 

families and clans together. Although U.S. Department of 

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) developments of 

the 1970s consist of suburban, single-family homes built 

at the outskirts of the pueblo and served a need for new 

housing at the time, they also contributed, with other 

societal changes, to a devastating decline in the language 

and lifeways of the people. The rehabilitation of Owe’neh 

Bupingeh is one strand of a broad tribal effort to rebuild 

the cultural traditions of the tribe by bringing families 

back to the historic and cultural core of the Pueblo. 

SITE

Photo: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 

Frequency of use: 2006

Drawing: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 

Owe’neh Bupingeh is the historic center of Ohkay Owingeh. 

Four traditional plazas are surrounded by 60 extant homes 

and at least 20 lots on which homes previously stood. Compared with the later Spanish plazas and American squares, 

which are landscaped, furnished, and ornamented, the traditional earthen pueblo plazas are very sparse. Yet Owe’neh 

Bupingeh is the setting for ritual observances and is the 

tribe’s spiritual center. Several times a year, the plazas are 

filled with people. This project marks the start of a long process by which the traditional use and character of the historic 

Pueblo core will be restored through the form and appearance 

of the dwellings.

Communal - Regular Use

Communal - Unused

Private - Inhabited Daily

Private - Feast Days only

Private - Uninhabited

303d

305a

403c

503

103

108

107

703

202c 204

402

902

504

304

607

303a

403a

101

106

301

202a

102

303b

105

501

502

601a

606

702

305c

104

201

203

901

306 302

904 903

401

602

701

704

001

604

603

605

608

801

802

803

109

601b

601c

St Hwy 74

P’o Pay Avenue

P

P

P

P

P

P

P P

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

101

# 102 103

104

105

106 107

108

109

110

111

#

113 115

114

116 117 118

119

# 120

121

122

123 125

{ }

126

127 128124

130

131

132

133

134

136

135

137

138

139

140

141

143

144

146

182

147 148 149

150 151

152

153

154 155

156

157

158

159

160

200

163

162

164

166

165 169 168

171

Tsay { }

{ }

{ }

161?

170

172

173

174

175

176

177

178 179

180 181

609

610

611

001

145

167

010 30 50 75 100 150 ft

N

National Register historic district boundary

Current pr oject boundary

CULTURE

The project began with tribal youth who were taught to document and research the 

existing buildings and perform research. Elders contributed recollections of buildings no longer present and stories of their lives on the plazas. Dozens of community 

meetings were held to gain feedback, and the preservation plan was developed 

through extensive discussions with the Tribal Council and a newly formed Cultural 

Advisory Team. The rehabilitation principles that evolved are sometimes in conflict 

with federal preservation standards. However, these principles are based on Ohkay 

Owingeh community and cultural values, and are being implemented by construction crew members and homeowners from the tribe who, through learning traditional methods of construction, ensure that the project is culturally appropriate. 

GREEN

As a preservation project, Owe’neh Bupingeh is inherently sustainable. The entire project team (tribe, architect, and contractor) 

was committed to retaining as much of each existing building as possible. Constructed by their ancestors, the earthen walls 

contain the breath and sweat of the Ohkay Owingeh people. Where adobe walls were no longer structurally sound, they were 

taken down and ground up as the main ingredient of the new earthen plaster. In the initial phases, green design features include 

highly insulated roofs, insulated windows, and ENERGY STAR appliances. Phase III meets Enterprise Green Communities standards; 

however, it was determined that getting a HERS rating separately for each individual home would be cost prohibitive. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 50

OWE’NEH BUPINGEH

DESIGN

The design of the project is rooted in, but not restrained by, the past. The existing 

condition of the homes in 2005 was disappointing to tribal members. Owe’neh Bupingeh still functioned as the traditional center of the tribe, but appearances were 

marred by extensive deterioration and by the introduction of inappropriate modern 

details (doors, windows, gutters, cement plaster, etc.). An analysis of more than 

400 historic photos was completed, with a clear understanding that only the last 

140 years of this 700-year-old place had been documented. Great changes were observed in the photos found, and while it was necessary to understand the changes 

during the last 150 years, a strict restoration was neither possible nor desirable. The 

earliest images show the pueblo at its greatest density, with the dwellings, before 

doors were installed, still accessed via roof hatches. These historic photos provided 

the tribe with the ability to determine an authentic vocabulary, distinct from other 

pueblos and the pueblo revival style. 

CULTURE

Photo: Avanyu, LLC

Photo: Atkin Olshin Shade Architects 

Photo: John Gaw Meen Collection

Federal funding required meeting the Secretary of 

the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic 

Places (Section 106). These standards are based on 

the notion that historic places have a “period of significance” that should guide preservation treatment. 

However, to Ohkay Owingeh, the present and the future 

are just as significant as the past, and “preservation” 

means sustaining an entire way of being, not just buildings. The federal standard needed to be reinterpreted 

in ways that afforded a meaningful discussion and 

prioritized local needs. Although the preservation philosophy developed by the tribe sometimes challenges 

federal preservation standards, these self-determined 

principles are culturally sustainable. Rather than return 

to a specific appearance from the past, the tribe has 

developed a process for balancing traditional building 

elements with contemporary amenities.

PROCESS

Community participation is the foundation of the 

project. Throughout the process, the project team 

worked with elders, cultural leaders, residents, and 

youth in defining their goals and vision. Construction 

and homeowner training was a high priority, resulting in 

43 percent of the construction crew being from Ohkay 

Owingeh.

INNOVATION

Ohkay Owingeh developed a comprehensive preservation plan to guide practical 

housing improvements according to cultural values. Planning costs were funded 

through traditional preservation sources, with construction funded primarily through various HUD programs, requiring a fine balance between regulatory 

standards in addition to the tribe’s own perspectives. The project is rooted in the 

preservation philosophy of Ohkay Owingeh tribal leaders, which values the life of 

the Pueblo and inhabitation over material conservation. The preservation technology is highly innovative, utilizing many years of material sciences field research 

by specialists in adobe construction. For example, the repair and reconstruction 

of damaged vigas (round timber beams) included boring dowels into the viga and 

splicing on new extensions, in order to save as much of the existing material as possible. This was an important cultural factor, as many of the vigas were “gifted” from 

one family to another, with initials still visible. 
51 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

OWE’NEH BUPINGEH

VISION Photo: Kate Russell 

Dancers, photo: Guy Ambrosino

This project has its roots in two previous projects at 

Ohkay Owingeh. Tsigo Bugeh Village is a 40-unit rental 

development completed in 2003 and financed with low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs). It was the first modern 

project at the pueblo to incorporate substantial community participation, including storytelling about life in the 

plaza area. Immediately following was a comprehensive 

master plan in 2004, which won a Smart Growth Award 

for Small Communities and was also developed with 

community input. The success of these projects helped to 

develop capacity to rehabilitate the historic core. It also 

brought the community and cultural leaders to the table 

with the Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority (OOHA) to 

realize their collective vision to bring elders and families 

back to live in the historic core. 

Project funding sources

57.75%

U.S. Department of 

Housing and Urban 

Development 

8%

HOME Investment 

Partnership program

.5% 

National Park 

Service 

4.5% 

I.H.S. 

25.25%

American Recovery 

and Reinvestment 

Act 

.25%

NM STATE 

2.5%

Tribe

1.25%

Nonprofit

Where does the vision 

actually come from for 

the community? It should 

come from the members 

from that community, 

where members always 

have input. - Joe Garcia

LESSONS LEARNED/CONCLUSION

A significant portion of the funding for the next phase of rehabilitation has been secured 

and the qualification process has begun. Funding thus far has been limited to low-income 

families, leaving many families just above low-income thresholds out of the project. OOHA 

established Cha Piyeh, Inc., a community development finance institution (CDFI), to provide 

low-interest loans to families who do not income-qualify and have no other means of 

participating in the project. Parcels of land on the plazas that have long been vacant have 

had ownership confirmed, and future phases of the project will include new construction on 

these sites to fill in the gaps between house blocks. Many of the other Pueblo tribes have 

come to visit Owe’neh Bupingeh and meet with the project team. Other groups, including the 

World Monuments Fund, the Getty Conservation Institute, and a delegation from Morocco, 

have visited to learn how culturally appropriate housing can help rebuild the strength of a 

community.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 52

Navajo Nation, AZ and NM NAVAJO NATION | ELDER HOOGHAN HOMES

2007 2010 2011

Community design2006

Construction starts Substantial completion Occupied

Client: Navajo elders and tribal members Project Engineers: Bill Druc, P.E.; Art Fust, P.E. 

Developer/Builder: Indigenous Community Enterprises Project Partners: Navajo Housing Authority, Navajo Tribal Utility 

Architect: Nathaniel Corum Authority, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural 

Builders: Western Strawbale Builders, Matt Robinson, Development, Arizona Department of Commerce, 

Jaime Ballesteros Architecture for Humanity OFF-GRID TRADITION

Indigenous Community Enterprises (ICE), one of the first green builders for 

the Navajo Housing Authority, providing culturally appropriate housing for 

low-income Navajo tribal members. The Elder Hooghan Homes initiative 

worked directly with Navajo elders who helped design floor plans that 

would support traditional lifeways while being efficient and low-impact. On 

off-grid sites, the homes often make use of traditional design knowledge, 

local skills, and materials from the Navajo Nation, including straw bales 

from Navajo Agricultural Products Industries (NAPI) and timber from tribal 

forests.

CORE PROJECT EMPHASES:

LESSONS LEARNED

•Good building envelopes reduce heating 

costs, which is extremely important in rural, 

off-grid homes. 

•Low-tech alternative building materials can 

provide needed job skills to a community.

•New materials can be used to construct 

traditional housing types.

BEST PRACTICES

•The project benefited many communities by 

introducing Navajo workers to green building 

skills. 

•Unique elder-approved designs included 

traditional hooghan designs built with new 

materials.

•Off-grid systems enable elders to live in their 

traditional lands, often far from paved roads 

and power lines. 

Southwest

Single Family

Cultural Off-Grid

Form

 Tribal 

Materials 

HOME PROTOTYPES 

IMPACT

ELDER INPUT

DESIGN

OFF-GRID

SITE

SKILLS TRAINING

INNOVATION

TRADITIONAL HOOGHAN FEATURES

CULTURE

SOLAR STRAW BALE

GREEN

Engagement 

Photo: Harry Connoly

Photo: Harry Connoly

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST:

$2.4M

PER SQ FOOT:

$105

COST PER UNIT: 

$150,000

TOTAL UNITS:

16
53 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

ELDER HOOGHAN HOMES

DESIGN

Indigenous Community Enterprises (ICE) expressed an 

interest in designing a straw bale home with a culturally 

relevant design. To this end and with technical assistance 

from the Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship to 

explore the possibilities of traditional forms built of FlexCrete (a Navajo-owned, lightweight, energy-efficient tribal 

building material) and with straw bales sourced from 

NAPI and SIPs systems. Several rounds of workshops with 

future homeowners and elders were held to determine 

floor plan variations and how to integrate hooghan forms 

with other rooms and features. Three dimensional models 

were used so that elders could move walls and comment 

on their likes/dislikes among design options. 

CULTURE

The designs and materials support traditional life in several 

ways. It was clear that an east entry and approach to the 

hooghan was important for cultural reasons. Additionally, the 

octagonal primary space on the interior supports ceremonial 

use while providing a traditional space for gatherings and ceremonies that reference the four directions. A wood burning 

stove has traditional as well as practical uses. 

INNOVATION

This initiative represents a prime example of tribally staffed 

nonprofits producing culturally appropriate green home 

ownership opportunities. The Navajo hooghan, a traditional 

place-form, was designed and built with elder input and tribal 

workforce, with local and natural materials for the benefit of 

tribal families who wished to live in a more traditional manner. 

These traditional Diné hooghan plans utilized the off-grid 

systems, enabling elders to live in their traditional lands, even 

far from paved roads and power lines. Passive solar design | 1 bedroom | 1 story

Wood stove for off-grid 

and traditional uses.

Navajo materials: straw 

bale, timber products 

and, FlexCrete. Dense utility core 

Drawing: Nathaniel Corum 

Photo: Harry Connolly

Photo: Nathaniel Corum 

East-facing entrance 

faces sunrise

Wood stove for off-grid 

and traditional uses.

Octagonal hooghan is the primary 

space to accommodate ceremony and 

traditional lifeways.

GREEN

This Elder Hooghan Homes initiative features passive solar design, natural materials, 

day-lighting and efficient systems. In addition to solar-generated electricity, these off-grid 

homes use a cistern water system designed for native houses that are too remote to 

hook up to a community water system. Homes feature green and culturally appropriate 

features while focusing on efficiency, cost-effectiveness and ease of construction and 

maintenance. Tribal-member crews were trained in the “tilt-wall” erection process. Straw 

bale is a local, renewable, non-toxic and carbon-sequestering material. Stained concrete 

floors avoid many interior pollution issues. Other green features include: solar PV and/

or hot water, post-consumer attic insulation (newspaper), rainwater harvesting, efficient 

fixtures and appliances, local wood and low/no VOC paints and stains, and structural 

insulated panel (SIP) systems.
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 54

GREEN  |  BEST PRACTICES

How does green building help achieve 

affordable, healthy housing?

Ventilation

Renewable

Salvage

Water

GREEN

The case studies profiled here are composed of many shades of green. Some, such as Puyallup Place of Hidden Waters, Devine 

Legacy, Kumuhau Subdivision, and Penobscot LEED Homes, sought Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 

certification to verify the green performance of their buildings. Others used the Enterprise Green Communities Criteria, developed 

specifically for affordable housing. All the projects exhibit comprehensive approaches to green building—looking at project location, 

site design, water conservation, energy efficiency, appropriate materials, healthy indoor air quality, and long-term operations 

and maintenance. In most cases, cultural and economic sustainability was as high a priority as environmental sustainability. Tribal 

enterprise and employment are crucial to economic sustainability, and many projects incorporated new materials such as Navajo 

FlexCrete, earth, straw, and structural insulated panels (SIPs). Coeur d’Alene and Northern Cheyenne feature super-insulated straw 

bale wall systems. Passive solar design strategies are found to be cost effective. The Mescalero Apache and the Apsáalooke (Crow) 

Tribe projects both optimize site orientation and design to allow for passive solar and ventilation to reduce heat load in the winter 

months and provide protection and airflow during hot summer months. Indoor air quality is critical to protect residents’ health and 

can be incorporated with little additional cost. The project team for Kumuhau Subdivision worked to modify the Airscape whole 

house fan specifically for its project, to produce a quieter ventilation system called the Kohila fan. Many homes were built to be 

ready for renewable energy connections in the future. Penobscot, Kumuhau, Passamaquoddy, and Pinoleville Pomo all installed 

photovoltaic panels, and Puyallup installed ground source heat recovery. The Pinoleville Pomo Nation developed a tribal green 

building code as part of its two prototype homes project, which will positively affect future development. 
55 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

BEST PRACTICES | IMPACT

How do our actions impact future 

generations? 

Future 

Generations

Replicable

Health

Tribal 

Codes IMPACT

These exemplary projects serve to inspire and educate others even outside of the tribal housing sphere. Several, such as the Place 

of Hidden Waters, Devine Legacy, and Owe'neh Bupingeh have acted as catalysts for community revitalization projects. Many are 

considered national and regional models. For instance, both Place of Hidden Waters and Ohkay Owingeh received the international 

SEED award, and have received national awards for exemplary green design and planning. The Navajo Housing Authority 

Sustainable Master Planning Manual may have the most potential for influencing change, with a goal to lay out a framework for 

sustainable planning and development for 34,000 housing units. Each project involved many partnerships, and many projects 

are increasing their impact by connecting housing to long-term planning and other tribal initiatives. For instance, many have 

incorporated training and tribal employment, which not only helps address the challenge of economic development but also acts to 

maximize the investment by keeping dollars local. The Owe’neh Bupingeh Rehabilitation Project was possible because the housing 

authority and the community already had experience with community engagement processes and a master plan that addressed 

land use and smart growth. The 60-unit Ysleta del Sur LIHTC Homes project and the 65-unit Devine Legacy project, the two largest 

projects, will positively affect many families in need of housing. Each project is a game changer: Ysleta del Sur LIHTC Pueblo 

Homes is the first tribal tax credit project in Texas, and Devine Legacy is the first mixed-income, transit-oriented development 

along the Phoenix Metro light-rail line. Similarly, the Kumuhau Subdivision, by providing 45 LEED Gold Homes, has proven that 

houses appropriately designed for climate can be competitive in the marketplace while providing significant utility savings for 

homeowners. The projects with the most impact are typically those that leverage most or all of these best practices simultaneously: 

thoughtful design and site planning, green building, innovative approaches, cultural and community engagement, and consideration 

for the generations to come. 
Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013 56

RESEARCH TEAM

Jamie Blosser 

AIA, LEED AP, Founder, Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative 

Associate, Atkin Olshin Schade Architects 

Jamie Blosser, AIA, LEED AP, is the founder of the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative (SNCC), and 

is an associate at Atkin Olshin Schade Architects in Santa Fe, New Mexico. From 2000 to 2003, Jamie was an 

Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow at the Ohkay Owingeh Housing Authority. Jamie has facilitated trainings 

throughout the country on the importance of cultural and environmental sustainability, including recent work 

with Public Interest Design Institutes around the country, and at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in Montana, 

Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota, Fond du Lac Band and White Earth Nation in Minnesota, and Red Cliff Band 

in Wisconsin. Her work has been featured in Architectural Record, Indian Country Today, Progressive Planning, 

and will be included in New Architecture on Indigenous Land, a new book on contemporary Native American 

architecture. She has led the Case Studies 2013 project, researching and showcasing exemplary Native American 

housing nationwide. Jamie served on the Enterprise Green Communities technical advisory group for the 2011 

Criteria, helping to develop a new tribal and rural pathway for compliance. She also has serves in a number of 

volunteer capacities, including project reviewer for SEED certification through Design Corps, an advisory group 

member of the AIA Housing Knowledge Community, and a board member for the Housing Trust of Santa Fe. 

Jamie graduated with a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Nathaniel Corum 

Architect, Head of Education Outreach 

Architecture for Humanity 

Nathaniel Corum is an Architect and Head of Education Outreach with Architecture for Humanity (AfH). Nathaniel has worked with Indigenous Community Enterprises, Red Feather, and AfH on housing and community initiatives and to develop and research appropriate building prototypes and materials. His work has been featured in 

Architecture, Dwell, Wired and the New York Times. As a Senior Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas 

(ECPA) Fellow, Nathaniel researches culturally appropriate development and regenerative land use. He is an 

integral member of the SNCC, most recently helping to provide outreach, site visits, research, and writing on 

exemplary Native American housing nationwide. Nathaniel runs the AfH Pac Rim Studio, involving students of 

architecture in regions stretching from California to Asia to develop holistic, sustainable design solutions that 

respond to global design challenges. He is the recipient of an Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship and is the 

author of Building a Straw Bale House from Princeton Architectural Press. Nathaniel holds an undergraduate 

degree from Stanford University. His Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin culminated in 

a Fulbright Scholarship to study architectural preservation and urban poverty issues in North Africa.

Daniel J. Glenn 

AIA, NCARB

Principal, 7 Directions Architects/Planners

Daniel Glenn is an architect from the Crow Nation and the principal of 7 Directions Architects, an Indian-owned 

design and planning firm based in Seattle. Daniel’s design work has received national and regional recognition, 

including the Little Big Horn College Campus in Crow Agency, Montana; being featured in the documentary film, 

Aboriginal Architecture: Living Architecture; and the University of Montana’s Payne Family Native American Center in Missoula, Montana, featured in Indian Country Today Magazine. He is on the Board of Directors of Navajo 

FlexCrete Building Systems, a subsidiary of the Navajo Housing Authority, and is a regularly invited speaker at 

professional and academic conferences, including HUD Office of Native American Program events across the 

country. An MIT-trained specialist in the design of green affordable housing, Daniel was the founding design 

director of the Arizona State University Stardust Center for Affordable Homes and the Family in Phoenix and executive director of Environmental Works Community Design Center in Seattle. He has taught architectural design 

at Arizona State University, the University of Washington, Montana State University, and the Boston Architectural Center. His work will be included in New Architecture on Indigenous Land, a new book on contemporary Native 

American architecture. 
57 Best Practices in Tribal Housing: Case Studies 2013

SUSTAINABLE NATIVE COMMUNITIES COLLABORATIVE

Russell D. Kaney

Director of Programs, Rural and Native American Initiative 

Enterprise Community Partners

Russ Kaney is director of programs for the Enterprise Rural and Native American Initiative. Russ manages key 

developer relationships across the country on behalf of the organization. Formerly a senior project manager for 

the Enterprise Community Investment syndication unit, Russ was deeply involved with transactions involving the 

low-income housing tax credit. Prior to joining Enterprise, Russ was an underwriter and low-income housing tax 

credit allocator for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). Russ also worked for an 

agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as an underwriter and asset manager. While there, 

he assisted with the massive effort to reconstruct the devastated housing areas of south Florida following the 

destruction left by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Over the past 5 years, Russ has provided direct training and technical 

assistance to tribal housing organizations nationally, emphasizing the sourcing of capital and creation of housing 

units. Russ was a key partner in the Enterprise partnership with the American Indian Supportive Housing Initiative 

(AISHI). Russ is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has continued his real estate education at 

the University of Illinois and the University of Maryland. He also served as a U.S. Action/Peace Corps volunteer in 

South America.

Joseph Kunkel 

Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow

Santo Domingo Tribal Housing Authority (THA)/Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative 

Joseph Kunkel is an Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow currently working directly with the Sustainable Native 

Communities Collaborative (SNCC), and the Santo Domingo Tribal Housing Authority. His most recent focus with 

SNCC has been to help research and showcase exemplary Native American housing nationwide, and to build and 

develop emerging best practices. His professional career has centered on community-based educational design. 

His work ranges from material research and fabrication to community-based design and planning. Prior to the 

Rose Fellowship, Joseph co-led the design of two public First Nations schools in Regina, Saskatchewan, and 

White Horse, Yukon Territory. There, Joseph helped facilitate an integrated collaborative process where students, 

teachers, parents, and elders worked together to create an environment designed around culturally appropriate 

learning. Joseph has taught, lectured, and presented on the topics of land, culture, and place. His current work 

in southeast Montana on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, where he is an enrolled member, focuses on the 

need for culturally relevant sustainable housing. This has led to the creation of the HabLab (hablab.org), partially 

funded by Nike, which ties sports and wellness to education and cultural heritage. This August, HabLab will hold 

its third annual basketball clinic, a week-long sports and education curriculum, at Northern Cheyenne. Joseph is 

also working on a cultural district plan at Santo Domingo Tribe, funded by a National Endowments for the Arts 

(NEA) Our Town grant. Joseph received his Master of Architecture from the University of Maryland. 

Ed Rosenthal

Vice President, Rural and Native American Initiative

Enterprise Community Partner

Ed Rosenthal is vice president of the Enterprise Rural and Native American Initiative. Since 2008, he has directed all of Enterprise’s rural housing development activities nationwide, with a focus on Native American and 

farmworker housing issues as well as rural multifamily and single-family housing preservation. Enterprise has 

developed more than 15,000 affordable homes in rural communities across the country with an investment of 

more than $800 million dollars. Previously, Ed served as director of Enterprise’s New Mexico office, where he 

provided a variety of financial and technical assistance tools to community development and local government 

organizations. Enterprise’s New Mexico-based partners have created more than 1,500 affordable homes, many 

incorporating green building and planning concepts, and many specifically designed to address regional inequities in access to decent housing. Ed received his law degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., where 

he helped numerous tenant organizations convert their apartment buildings into affordable housing cooperatives.
THANK YOU

Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative

The 2013 Case Studies research is made possible by generous 

support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development Policy Development and Research (PD&R) 

Office Sustainable Construction in Indian Country grant, 

and the generous donation of time from our Collaborative 

volunteers. The Sustainable Native Communities 

Collaborative is a program of Enterprise Community 

Partners.

Thank you to all the case study teams participating in the 

2013 Case Studies, and special thanks to:

Atkin Olshin Schade Architects

Adventure Pictures 

ANAGR.AM

Enterprise Rural and Native American Initiative

Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship 

Enterprise Green Communities

Rural and Native American Initiative www.enterprisecommunity.org

Through its Enterprise Native American Program, Enterprise works with tribal and community partners to 

create healthy, safe, green affordable housing and to increase opportunities for economic advancement for 

individuals and families. Since 1997, Enterprise has invested more than $100 million in grants, loans, and equity 

in Native American communities and has developed more than 1,700 homes in 20 states. Nationally, Enterprise 

has provided training to nearly 40 tribes and tribal housing entities in financial acquisition and has worked with 

tribal governments to help improve regulations for increased homeownership with mortgage lenders and financial 

institutions.

Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship www.rosefellowship.org

Established in 2000, the Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellowship honors the late Frederick P. Rose, the prominent 

developer and philanthropist who believed strongly in the value of good design and the spirit of public service. 

Administered by Enterprise, the program has achieved dramatic results in more than 40 communities. The Fellows 

have contributed to more than 5,000 green affordable homes and more than 40 community facilities, living proof 

that the long-term financial and social viability of affordable housing depends on design excellence, sustainability, 

and community engagement in the development of neighborhoods. The Fellowship partners promising architects 

with local community development organizations for 3 years. To date, there have been three Fellowships focused in 

Native American communities. 

Enterprise Green Communities www.greencommunitiesonline.org

Enterprise Green Communities is transforming the way America thinks about, designs, builds, and rehabilitates 

affordable housing. Enterprise Green Communities aligns affordable housing investment strategies with 

environmentally responsive building practices using the Green Communities Criteria, the first national framework 

for healthy, efficient, environmentally smart, affordable homes. Green Communities also assists state and local 

governments to ensure that their housing and economic development policies are smart and sustainable. The 2011 

Criteria offers three pathways for projects, based on the location of the project and surrounding development 

patterns. The revised criteria allow more tribal communities to participate in Green Communities.

*All information found in this document will be available on our website in a digital downloadable format.

www.sustainablenativecommunities.org
www.sustainablenativecommunities.org

Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Office of Policy Development and Research

Washington, DC 20410-6000

October 2014