Tucson Standard

Jedidiah Perea, a student at the University of Arizona's College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, participated in a project that involved designing housing and an educational campus for the Hopi Tribe. This initiative was part of a solar-powered village called Tawa'Ovi on the Hopi reservation in Northern Arizona. The students' work gained recognition at a U.S. Department of Energy design competition, with Perea's team winning the top award.

Perea expressed his desire to tackle challenging projects: "I wanted to do something that I knew would be a challenge and require a lot of knowledge that we had learned in previous classes but not necessarily employed yet."

The partnership between the university and the Hopi Tribe is seen as beneficial by Levi Esquerra, senior vice president for Native American advancement and tribal engagement at the university. He stated, "One of the best ways we can learn someone else's culture is to experience it with a passion you're interested in."

Andrew Gashwazra, director of the tribe's Office of Community Planning and Development, noted challenges such as limited power grid capacity. The Tawa'Ovi project aims to address these issues by providing more housing options and expanding tribal services.

LeRoy Shingoitewa, a former tribal chairman, explained that Tawa'Ovi has been envisioned for about two decades as a modern village reflecting traditional Hopi values. Electricity has been a significant hurdle due to the site's distance from power stations, but recent solar developments have brought new possibilities.

Laura Carr from the School of Architecture highlighted how this project aligns with the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon Design Challenge goals: "It was a really good fit for what the Tawa'Ovi team was looking for in terms of the challenges they faced."

David Brubaker emphasized real-world experience: "The students got to practice one of their most important skills as an architect, which is to listen."

During their visit to the reservation, students learned about Hopi customs and traditions. They designed projects including multi-family housing units with commercial space and an education campus. Each project proposed its own solar-powered system integrated into a larger grid.

Perea's team designed Harvest Mesa using sandstone masonry inspired by traditional methods. He said he was proud that their architecture could contribute economically and culturally: "That's the part I'm proudest of – our architecture could contribute to the local economy and to the culture in that way."

Colleen Barbanti's team focused on student housing needs identified by tribal members. She remarked on creating efficient designs: "We were able to design it to the extent that they're not going to be hurting for water."

This marks four consecutive years where University of Arizona teams have excelled in this competition.

Shingoitewa praised students' efforts: "For them to put together something, enter it into a contest and then win it...is what you want students to learn." The materials created are vital next steps toward realizing Tawa'Ovi.

Carr plans further presentations while Gashwazra hopes future housing incorporates student designs: "We're finally at point...of actually getting it done," he concluded optimistically about ongoing collaborations.