Suquamish House of Awakened Culture
Overview
As a core cultural icon on the shores of the Suquamish reservation, the House of Awakened Culture serves as a beacon and resource to both tribal members and visitors. The building and grounds provide space for tribal ceremonies, memorials and celebrations, as well as community events and public meetings. The site design emphasizes native bluff habitat of the Puget Sound shoreline, incorporating native meadow grasses and a forest perimeter landscape as a setting for the exterior gathering spaces at the bluff’s edge. The building design evokes the character and spirit of traditional longhouses while reflecting contemporary building materials, technology and construction methods to ensure a long-lasting, sustainable resource for the Suquamish people. The project opened in 2009 and served as a Suquamish hosting location for the Salish Sea Canoe Journey. The project is LEED Silver Certified and employs various sustainable strategies including a high-performance envelope, natural cooling system, raingardens and daylighting.
Links
News
- Suquamish Celebrate Tradition, Culture, with opening of Old Man House by Tera Lymm, North Kitsap Herald, March 19, 2009
- Suquamish Break Ground on Community House by Derek Sheppard, Kitsap Sun, March 11, 2008
Video
View a video from the March 2009 opening celebration.
Specifications
- Client: Suquamish Tribe
- Completion: 2009
- Size: 12,000 sf
- Certifications: LEED® Silver certification
- Location: Suquamish, WA