Tsigo bugeh

When the Ohkay Owingeh, a Pueblo Indian Tribe, approached the development of new, affordable housing on their reservation in San Juan Pueblo, NM, they were determined to create buildings that were appropriate for Tribal members and Tribal life.  They reached back to the design traditions of the original pueblo, one of the oldest, continuously occupied places in North America.  Tsigo bugeh Village, with its 40 units and a community center arranged around communal plazas, one of them oriented to the spring and fall equinox, is a modern interpretation of one of the oldest housing types on this continent.  There are sunshades throughout the development and the buildings are oriented for passive solar heating.  Two traditional outdoor bread ovens were built under the guidance of GTribal artisans.

Spaces inside the units – living, dining and kitchen areas – are large and flexible enough to accommodate feast day gatherings, when hundreds of people come together for day-long celebrations.

Tsigo bugeh Village has clearly met the goals of its creators to provide for the spiritual and cultural life of its community, as well as shelter.