Ancestral Canyon.

The cultural center's design embodies the concept of the Kern River over time eroding the earth and creating the valley which houses the Tübatulabal tribe. The tribe is known for their basket weaving, which they used for food, water, and trading. This basket is placed on top of the burial mound-like structure providing shade and mimicking the surrounding mountains. Rammed earth walls guide visitors into the mound while also carving out interior spaces. The building’s shape is inspired by the spiral seen in several ancient rock pictographs near the site, which is theorized to symbolize the cycle of life, time, and the flow of water. This cultural center serves to provide recreation and assembly purposes for the surrounding community and remaining members of the Tübatulaball tribe, while also serving as a monument memorializing the massacre.