The Hibulb Cultural Center

The Hibulb Cultural Center tells the story of the Tulalip Tribes.  Drawing on the description of The Tulalip Tribes as a “land based water born people”, the museum form is generated from symbolic land and water forms.  The “water side” houses the exhibit spaces and support facilities.  Administration, research and retail spaces are housed in the “land side”.  The Canoe Hall connects the two major parts of the museum and leads visitors to the longhouse and classroom cluster that provide places for elders and youth to share.

Akana personnel provided civil and structural engineering and construction administration support services.  Sustainability was a major goal of the project, and workshops were held with the Tulalip Museum Board and the Tribal community to develop a conceptual design. The design addresses social and environmental sustainability, accommodating tribal participation in the construction process and prescribing local materials and manufacturing.  For example, the structural system was selected to allow the tribe’s framing crew to construct the building.  In addition, the varied forms of the “land side” were regularized into a system of articulated frames, so they can be easily prefabricated and installed on site to reduce cost and construction time.  Daylighting strategies were incorporated into the design to reduce electrical needs and to create a rich sensory environment.