May We Grow Tall Story-based Ways of Knowing Layered in Design
Zuni, NM 2024

     Listening to my Nana (Grandfather) and his two sisters tell stories about growing up in Zuni, New Mexico, helped me understand my own reality. I realized that we are all just stories. The rich histories, traditions, and ways of being are intertwined within their narratives. 
    In the winter, during storytelling season, the Old Man next door shares many tales about animals and the lessons they learn from their experiences. These stories impart life lessons that stay with them as they grow. At the end of each story, the storyteller says “Lahona Datchadu” (May We Grow Tall), and everyone raises their hands as high as they can, accepting this wisdom as truth.
    This is my reality. Traditionally, Zuni People (A:Shiwi) embody complexity and intentionality in their ways of living, knowing, and being. I use watercolor as a tool to illustrate the complex layers of storytelling and traditional ways of living. I carry these lessons with me throughout my design process.
 
Great Grandfather, the Storyteller
Waffle Garden, Everything has Purpose
Ways of Being Framework: Ontology - What is Real (left)? Espistemology - How we know what is Real (top)? Methodoloy - How we learn more about this Reality (right)? Axiology - What knowledge is important and how we should use it (bottom)?  
Tortillas, Creating New Traditions

My Nana’s Story, Stories are Built into Our Environment
Layers of Living
One Big Room
Inside and Outside as One
Listening to the Sky
Family Stones
How Light Comes In
Sketch of Layers of Living
    
Winter and Summer Sketch

Bringing Together One Big Room
Sketch of How Light Comes In
    
Sketch of Transformative Spaces
Purposeful Space

May We Grow Tall


Navajo Code Talker Museum
Intentional Community Engagement Design
Tse Bonito, NM 2023
Work With Lance Parisot
       The Navajo Code Talker Museum is an essential resource for the community, with only 30% of the Navajo Nation having access to running water. It generates revenue from tourism and provides a treated water station and healing center for veterans and families of Code Talkers. The museum’s design reflects the natural landscape and tells the stories of the Code Talkers, embodying themes of strength and resilience while honoring their legacy.
       
The Site on top of the Hill
    
Impressions of water left in the ground
    
Site Analysis
Programmatic Elements
Project Core Theme of Using the Code Talker Stories’ as a Guide for the Importance of Water on the Site
Sketch of Using the Navajo Creation Story of Fresh Water on Earth (Snail Girl) as a Lesson for the Site
Site Plan Emphasizing the Importance of the Cardinal Direction
Floor Plan -  Understanding the Movement of the Site
Section - North South of Building 1
Section - West East of Building 3 and 2
Rendering of Community Courtyard
Rendering of Reflection and Knowledge Sharing Spaace
Rendering of Exhibition Space
Rendering of a Place of Eat
Replacement Housing
Explorations in Rammed Earth
Mora County, NM 2023

Work with Charelle Brown
     The persistent challenges of wildfires in Mora County, New Mexico, highlight the need for sustainable housing solutions. By using rammed earth as the primary building material, the aim is to support the local community through the development of a shared knowledge system for construction. Establishing reciprocal relationships and utilizing local materials are essential steps in helping to uplift the affected communities.

Soil Map for Rammed Earth Materiality
Modular Rammed Earth Paneling Calculations
Three Bedroom Length Floor Plan
Three Bedroom Length East Elevation

Three Bedroom Width Floor Plan
Three Bedroom Width South Elevation
Rammed Earth Window Panel Wall Section

Hostel Flavors
Exploration of Dimension
Boulder, CO 2019

        The aim of this project is to design a hostel for travelers visiting Boulder, Colorado. Traveling alone can sometimes feel isolating, so Hostel Flavors aims to bring travelers together through a shared love of food. The design process started with an abstraction and then expanded to an exploration of dimension and material building.
Parti Diagram
Lifting the Layers
Building into Topography
Final Physical Model
Final Physical Model Detail

Revitalizing Education
Cutting the “Cookie-Cutter”
Zuni, NM 2022
     The design emphasizes treating the classroom as a home and a community gathering space based on discussions with teachers and community members. By repurposing the abandoned Dowa Yalanne Elementary School, outdoor and communal spaces are maximized by cutting the “Cookie-cutter”. The layout reflects the geology of Dowa Yalanne Mesa (DY) and supports community, education, and their integration.
Current Elementary School (left) and Middle Village (right)


Dowa Yalanne (DY) Layers and Original Building, Using Commuity and Educational Programmatic Elements to Cut the “Cookie Cutter”
Floor Plan with Community Elements (North), Educational Elements (South), and the Shared Interests
North South Section throughLearning, Place to Eat, and Crafting Spaces
West East Section through Place to Eat
Rendering of Front Entrance
Rendering of the Classroom as an Extension of the Home
      
Rendering of a Place to Eat