McNair Summer Research Program

Faculty Mentor(s)

Adriana Cuellar

Publication Date

Summer 8-8-2026

Disciplines

Architectural History and Criticism | Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis | Historic Preservation and Conservation | Urban, Community and Regional Planning

Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement

Contemporary architecture faces a growing pressure to respond to the socioecological crises with regard to the consequences of design that so often accept environmental systems as separate from the living. In contrast, many Native systems, often referred to as Traditional Knowledge (TK), comprehend cumulative, place-based bodies of knowledge that are developed through extended histories of interaction with specific environments. In this context, Traditional Knowledge encompasses resource use practices, sustainability, spirituality, and an emphasis on a relational worldview. It is characterized in such a framework that different layers of existence, such as humans, animals, plants, water, climate, and materials, are understood as shared participants. This separation has led to spatial forms and the creation of built environments that fail to support community life. Such models treat land as sites, materials as unlimited, and climate as an external force. This research investigates how native understandings of place as relational can inform a more responsive and context-based architectural practice. Drawing from traditional knowledge literature, indigenous writings, and case studies, this research suggests that principles of relation, such as reciprocity and listening, can help frame better questions and design decisions about housing, climate adaptation, and the long-term existence of our built environments. While provided with an extensive number of research subjects on traditional knowledge as a complex system of relational ontologies, the architecture field has yet to fully explore how these principles might inform contemporary design practices.

Download

Share

COinS