The client is a Navajo family of three, an older couple and their daughter who suffers from Down's syndrome. They live in a small hogan with dirt floors, no electricity, and no running water. They enjoy a rugged lifestyle and cooking on their wood stove that also provides their heat. They are involved in their community. Specifically, Mary, the matriarch of the family, helps to promote awarenss of domestic abuse, and directly aids battered women to gain a sense of health and independence. She wants to use this new home as a safe place for these women to gather.

We are architecture students from the University of Utah.  We are participating in the DesignBuildBLUFF  program, where we design, promote, and build a house. We have a goal to create a well designed home suited to the harsh desert conditions and needs of our client.  In the process we are growing as we work intimately with those we design for.

The site is on the Navajo reservation where there is endless sand, wind storms, harsh sunlight, and monsoons. We need this home to resist the beating of blowing sand. It needs to be protected by a exterior facade, insulation, and overhangs from the extreme heat in the summer.  So, we are seeking funding to aquire these more durable materials. Specifically a metal exterior facing is very expensive. Your contribtion will help us to create a home that will last. Thanks for considering it, any little bit helps. 

See what we are doing each day on the blog  and learn more about the program.
http://www.designbuildbluff.org/