🌱 Planting the Seeds for a Visionary Future: The Bluestone Community – Tse' Doo'lizh 🌱
Though the Bluestone Community in Houck, Arizona, remains an unbuilt vision, it stands as an inspiring concept rooted in the rich Navajo traditions and values. Tse' Doo'lizh, envisioned as a community centered around home, tradition, and culture, offers a glimpse into what could be a bold model for indigenous planning—designed to preserve Navajo values while paving the way for future generations.
The Bluestone design team captured this perfectly, stating:
"Being respectful of traditional values and ceremonial sensitivities, the Bluestone Community team expresses the vision to commit to the Navajo Community Experience. We will create a sustainable community with the centered values of home, tradition, and culture that is uniquely Navajo for generations to enjoy and preserve our values going forward. Bluestone will plant a seed that our children will harvest."
The Bluestone plan imagines a community that lives in harmony with nature, embracing an overarching philosophy of sustainability and balance. A thoughtfully designed mix of 200 single-family homes, apartments, and duplexes would offer diverse housing options, all interconnected by pedestrian trails, parks, and public spaces. This model emphasized community connectivity while preserving the landscape through minimal site disturbance.
Although never realized, the project incorporated cutting-edge energy-efficient design principles. From high-performance building envelopes to the use of sustainable materials, the community would have reduced energy consumption by 30%, aligning with modern environmental goals. It was to be a beacon of sustainable living, with innovative approaches like reduced HVAC loads and expanded net floor areas. One way of preserving the rich culture was to purposefully name roadways and streets after traditional Navajo names such as Corn Pollen Way, Sheep Way Drive, and Medicine Berry Circle—in addition to having the Navajo Hogan-inspired homes’ doorways face east to align with the rising sun.
While the Bluestone project may remain unbuilt, the vision endures—a blueprint for indigenous community planning that future developments can draw upon to preserve cultural heritage while embracing modern sustainability. Bluestone Community is one vision SPS+ Architects assisted with planting the seeds…where the community would Harvest Beauty.
At SPS+, we’re proud to have been part of this journey. 🌎💚 #IndigenousDesign #Sustainability #CulturalPreservation #NavajoNation #ArchitectureForTheFuture #spsplusarchitecture
