Chief Dull Knife College Early Childhood Learning Center

Lame Deer, MT (2005)

Project Team: David Riley, Scott Wing, Peter Aeschbacher, Michael Rios, Penn State School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and Department of Architectural Engineering students, Sam Dennis and Bently Spang.

Partners: University of Wisconsin Landscape Architecture, Chief Dull Knife College

Sponsors: Department of Housing and Urban Development, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

The American Indian Housing Initiative (AIHI) is a collaborative effort to address the housing challenges facing Northern Plains Indians. The 2005 AIHI project represents the third in a series of community-based projects that have helped to build a strong relationship between PennState and the Northern Cheyenne tribe. Beginning in the fall of 2004, eight different Architecture and Architectural Engineering Courses contributed to the design, planning and construction of a 4,700 SF Daycare/Early Childhood Learning Center on the campus of Chief Dull Knife Campus.  Planned for LEED Gold Certification, this facility will provide much needed childcare space for students and staff of Chief  Dull Knife College, and at the same time, a chance for young parents to  Learn about how to best care for their infants and toddlers. The ECLC will feature a healthy and energy efficient design including strawbale construction, maximum day lighting, floor radiant heating, and evaporative cooling.  After completing the superstructure this summer, the project is now entering the finish phase through a combined AIHI/Northern Cheyenne Team.