Renew America Success Stories

Wampanoag Tribe Multi-Purpose Building

Description 

The Wampanoag Tribal Multi-Purpose Building serves as an administrative, educational and social center for the Wampanoag tribe, which has inhabited Martha's Vineyard for hundreds of years. The structure features environmentally-sound technologies including passive solar construction, high-efficiency lighting, salvaged and recycled construction materials and resource-efficient plumbing and water fixtures. 

In constructing its first community structure in hundreds of years, the Wampanoag tribe determined that two priorities should drive the building's design: the structure should be built in harmony with the environment, and it should exact minimum environmental impact over its lifetime. 

"As Native Americans, we have always been environmentally sensitive," says tribal chairwoman Beverly Wright, "and we wanted our tribal headquarters to reflect that." 

To achieve their goals, the Wampanoag tribe engaged in a collaborative process involving the design team, the building committee, tribal office staff, the tribal Council and tribal members. Rather than using a general contractor, construction was undertaken by a construction superintendent retained directly by the tribe. In this way, collaborative and integrated construction was assured. 

Completed in 1994, the headquarters serves as a gathering place for the tribe, and reflects the traditional Native American values of respect for, and interdependence with, nature. 
 

Program Highlights 

Energy Efficiency Features 

• Lighting/Passive Solar

• The building has been constructed on a hilltop, just below the hill's horizon line, preserving as much as possible the beauty of the site while maximizing the building's exposure to the sun and minimizing exposure to the fierce weather patterns of Martha's Vineyard.
• A scale model of the building was constructed to help maximize the percentage of lighting provided by daylight. Windows and skylights are placed for maximum exposure, transom glazes help distribute light and a controller system helps dim the electric lighting in response to rising daylight levels.
• The building is elongated on an east-west axis with 65% of the building's glass located on the south facade.
• Glazed glass used in the south-side windows admits more solar energy than normal low-e glass. The glass used in the building's remaining windows excludes solar heat while admitting visible light, helping to keep the building cool during the summer.
• Temperature Control
• Airtight construction was verified with a blower door test so that key leakage areas could be resealed.
• A ventilation system that provides heat recovery from exhaust air provides excellent indoor air quality with minimum energy use penalty.
• A heat recovery system uses exhaust air from the composting toilet system to provide hot water.
• The building has no air conditioning. Cooling is provided by opening windows.
• Water Use
• Water use is minimized with high-efficiency fixtures and the installation of waterless, composting toilets.
• A composting toilet and graywater system are used to minimize water use, waste and pollution. The waterless, composting toilet converts waste into composted fertilizer that is collected for use by a local farmer. The graywater system uses a filtering system and a trough containing flowers and plants to filter water from interior fixtures and appliances (i.e., showers, sinks, dishwasher and washing machine) before returning it to the groundwater supply.

• The building is designed to project a homelike setting in all rooms, which include offices, a kitchen, large and small meeting rooms, a library and display areas. A large living/meeting room with a central fireplace and hearth can be used after hours as a community space.
• To ensure maximum efficiency, the design team produced a maintenance manual and engaged in maintenance oversight for a period after completion of construction.
• Old growth redwood salvaged from discarded beer and wine vats and old growth Douglas fir salvaged from dismantled warehouse buildings were used in construction.
• A low-cost, easily operated system handles much of the solid waste produced in the building including paper, plastics, food waste, toner cartridges, glass, aluminum and batteries.
• The carpet is made from recycled plastic bottles.
• The carpet liner is made from compressed recycled newspapers.
• Ceramic tiles are made from automobile windshields
• Doormats are made from recycled tires.
• Carpet and linoleum were installed without the use of adhesives
• Paints and finishes use low-toxic materials.

Vital Statistics

Program Management/Partnerships: The Wampanoag Tribe Multi-Purpose Building is a project of the Wampanoag tribe. 

Budget: $1,150,000 total project cost. 

Community Served: The 784 members of the Wampanoag tribe. 

Measures of Success: 

The 8,700-square foot building saves more than 30,000 Btu's (British thermal units) annually over traditional construction methods.

The building saves the tribe more than $7,600 a year in saved energy costs.

The Wampanoag tribe was able to spend 40% of their construction budget with tribal-member-owned businesses