Navajo Preparatory School Phase I Dormitories
Farmington, New Mexico
The culturally-inspired dorm buildings provide critical precedent
for passively heated and cooled institutional structures in the southwest.
Relying on trombe walls, direct solar gain and high mass strategies
for heating, these buildings operate passively at 75% efficiency. Cooling
is afforded through induced ventilation via two high atria, each outfitted
with large exhaust hatches and industrial fans. Wing walls on the south
facade amplify prevailing winds to supplement the atrium chimney-effect.
The living room plan, derived from the traditional Navajo Hogan form,
evokes community and enhances socialization with its two-story volume,
exposed wood truss structure and perimeter banco seating. Design of
the custom carpet pattern was elicited through a student design competition.
Exterior building materials and forms tie the new buildings back to
the historic structures on this circa 1912 boarding school campus. |
