About:

The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma (ESTOO) has a rich and unique culture. Through a uniquely designed master planning process and study of the Tribe’s culture, the planning themes of Community, Oneness, and Balance became the ideals for the design of the Tribe’s Administration Building. The design of the new Tribal Administrative Building draws its inspiration from the site, the values and beliefs of the Tribe, and the traditional art of the Eastern Shawnee culture. The ESTOO Tribal Administrative Building provides for the Tribe’s main governmental functions.

 

The program includes offices for each of the office holders and their support staff, a Tribal Council Chamber, conference rooms, and accommodations for public receptions and events. The building is “of the site” to blend in with the land as well as respect the land. The visual connection to the exterior, daylight, and exterior spaces should reflect the building’s integration and oneness with the site. The design also focuses on creating a community home. There are places for gathering and poetic expressions through materials to reflect this sense of community. The Tribe is welcomed with rich, native textures, warm and inviting wood tones, an abundance of daylight, and natural materials. Streamlined forms along with the natural materials create tension and balance with the building’s site. Much like nature’s finest works of art, architectural details with exquisite craftsmanship create a genuine expression of the building and the Tribe’s connection to the land.