Title: Neusiok Native American Cultural Center
Location of Proejct: New Bern, North Carolina
Project Completion Date: 04/25/2022
Firm Name:

Short Description: The Neuse River was home to the Neusiok Native American people whose history is largely unaccounted for. Each element of the building walks through the past environment and brings it to the present. The individual exhibition emphasizes the intimate relationship between a person and the environment, the land shows how nature changes overtime influenced by the presence of people, the community space engages both the natural and built environment, and the universe exhibition is a place to consider the generations that have looked at the same sky and lived off of the same land the structure is built on today.

Architect's Statement: The Neuse River was a home to the Neusiok Native American people in New Bern, North Carolina. They occupied the area, specifically in what is now Craven and Pamlico counties, in 1584. Over time it is assumed that they integrated their tribe with the Tuscarora people, leaving much of their history unaccounted for as of today. The structure is meant as a place of recreation and immersion because remembrance is for more than mourning. Appreciating and educating by giving a platform to share meaningful and significant history greatly benefits the community by opening the conversation. Sharing this experience starts with physically putting visitors directly in the environment we are asking them to consider. The project is largely organized by the concept of Cosmic Identity which is the identity of humans amongst the universe featuring three equally important and necessary components: the individual, the land, and the community. Each interaction between the site and exhibitions has the purpose to engage with the different aspects of Neusiok Native American people’s lives. The universe exhibition houses a small planetarium while educational opportunities are embedded in the progression of any of the paths visitors may choose. These partial reconstructions of their past environment mirror the feeling of their homes being described as strips of wood and spanish moss, whose trees are highlighted in the courtyard, being used for a variety of their everyday tasks. The emphasis on communal living is one that became a large component as it is not only important for the spaces to encourage conversation and interaction, but also to make a point of how the two parts of the building connect and converse with each other. The description of the strips of wood became inspiration for the light screen surrounding the building. The screen maintains an open feeling in addition to altering the indoor environment in contrast to the outdoor environment creating a transparency blurring the lines of the inside and the outside while still having privacy for an intimate experience. Spanish moss is utilized throughout the project as the main greenery element, being used to accentuate significant points of circulation while further immersing visitors into the cultural center’s experience. Communal living is emphasized in the circulation joint as the levels are opened through pathways and nooks visible to each other. The break between the individual exhibition building and the community space serves to orient views towards the Neuse River and take pause, considering the landscape through a targeted view. The joint is left open to expose the natural environment as it is with less human interference. That brief transition serves as a breath space. Together the exhibitions produce a well-rounded experience defined by putting oneself into another perspective. Though the cultural center focuses on the environment of the Neusiok Native American people, it is also open to serve as an educational space for any tribe in North Carolina.