Pawnee Nation Dance Arbor

This project is part of a larger, area-wide development effort by the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma to provide beautiful outdoor spaces that encourage physical and spiritual well being. The arbor is a component of the Campgrounds and Fit Trail Project.

The Arbor provides space for ceremonial and community gatherings. The Arbor design encompasses an open-air, circular, modular, single-column shelter meant for the comfort and enhancement of tribal activities related to the dance arbor. Community and cultural input informed many of the design decisions. Throughout the project, one main goal was to eliminate or greatly reduce the  harm to earth, trees and local biohabitats. The construction, engineering,  and architecture teams worked collaboratively to produce designs and budgets for Pawnee Nation leadership to review and approve.

To incorporate elements significant to the Pawnee Nation, our team included Pawnee colors and symbols throughout the design itself. The dance arbor's eastern entrance holds special significance to the Pawnee Nation and was designed to remain open.

Other key project features included outdoor lighting and fans for added safety and comfort to community members. The dance arbor was constructed with low maintenance, highly durable materials to provide a long-lasting protective structure requiring minimal upkeep.