Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center
The museum honors the enduring stories, culture and history of the Chumash people through a collection of over 20,000 preserved artifacts.
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Project Details
Overview
The Chumash people have inhabited the California coast for centuries, but many of their stories got lost due to the effects of disease and colonization. The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center aims to revive these stories so students, teachers and local communities can better understand Chumash traditions and heritage.
The museum's design features terracotta tiles and adobe-style concrete bricks, creating an immersive atmosphere for visitors to connect with Chumash culture. Visitors can also explore a cultural park next to the museum, which includes outdoor exhibits, an amphitheater and a landscape populated with indigenous plants used for food, medicine and crafts in Chumash culture.
We provided structural design and construction support to Jones & Jones for the development, which opened in 2023.
Highlights
- The museum and cultural center received LEED Silver certification based on its environmentally sound design, construction and operational practices.
- The museum's design features a Welcome House, Heritage House, Traditional Tule House, Samala Language House and a Tomol House, collectively symbolizing a village.
- The design process included the prominent use of exposed timber.
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