Elder Hoogan Homes

The Elder Hoogan Homes Initiative team worked closely with Navajo elders to produce a range of culturally responsive home designs. The collaboration arrived at a family of hoogan designs that support traditional life-ways within easily-constructible, affordable, super-insulated, low-impact, envelopes. These homes, often located miles from the nearest utility grids, emphasize traditional design knowledge, tribal member constructors, and materials from Navajo Nation, including: wheat straw bales from Navajo Agricultural Products Industries (NAPI) and restoration forestry products from tribal forests. In terms of design, an eastern entry, a wood burning stove, and an octagonal plan support cultural protocols and ceremonial use.