Huna Tribal House

  • Location Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, near Gustavus, Alaska
  • Client RIM Architects
  • Owner National Park Service, Alaska
  • Past & Present

    A modern space for traditional Huna Tlingit community, education, art, woodworking, weaving, song, and dance.

  • Creating Lasting Memories

    Creating new traditions and celebrating the old ones.

Honoring Lifestyle. The Huna Tribal House is a 3,500 sf two-building group built on the campus of the Glacier Bay Lodge in Bartlett Cove. The building was organized by the Park Service, but the construction style is modeled after a historic building of the Tlingit people. The main building is comprised of a large, square meeting place with four large columns, each holding an intricately carved house pole. The four columns carry massive 30-inch diameter roof beams which were locally harvested and turned to a consistent diameter. At the back of the meeting space, a large carved house screen separates the room to create a staging area behind the screen. The second building holds the restrooms and mechanical space and is connected to the main building by a covered walkway. Both buildings were constructed of insulated concrete forms and structural insulated panels covered with cedar siding to create a tight thermal envelope while still using the Tlingit aesthetic.