Quileute Tribal School

The Move to Higher Ground is a comprehensive program to relocate critical community facilities and future housing to safety of lands above the reach of tsunami waves and flood waters. The priority of the Tribe is the relocation of the Quileute Tribal School.

Early in the process, we worked with the Quileute Tribe and the existing site conditions to determine the best location for the school based on natural land features, safety, and cost considerations.

This 65,000 SF school provides areas for the Quileute culture to thrive – resource rooms for classes run by elders on language and oral history, incorporation of recent and historic tribal arts, and orienting the schools main gathering area toward the Tribe’s sacred island. The design includes energy-efficient design, effective daylighting, and cross-laminated timber.

Beyond expected school activities, it will also serve as a community gathering place and emergency relocation building for tribal members in the case of a natural disaster.