Cultural Center & Tribal Community Master Plan

Rooted in their deep and unbroken connection to the land, the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe envisioned a space that would preserve their history while sustaining their cultural identity and lifeways for generations to come. To support the Tribe’s vision, the Bodwé team developed conceptual designs for a cultural center that would serve as a living vessel for the preservation, expression and sharing of Paiute and Shoshone heritage.

The Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe has called northern Nevada home for more than 10,000 years. In an effort to preserve and promote Paiute and Shoshone culture and provide a certified repository for artifacts, the Tribe sought recommendations to either design a newly constructed facility or repurpose the existing Fox Peak Cinema into a cultural center on the Tribe’s reservation land.

During the pre-and-conceptual design phases it was determined that a new ground-up facility was the only appropriate solution. The 10,000 SF facility is organized into centers for Education and Language, Archive and Research, and Interpretation. Together, the Cultural Center and Archive Building will provide indoor and outdoor spaces for language revitalization, transmission of cultural knowledge, and intergenerational connection.

Every aspect of the concept draws inspiration from the land and the resilience of the Fallon Paiute Shoshone people. The Bodwé team prioritized sustainability throughout the plans, integrating solar energy systems with plans to pursue LEED Silver Certification. Looking ahead, the master plan includes opportunities to build a hotel and conference center, an Indigenous research and legal institute, a business incubator and additional housing to support the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe’s self-determination, cultural preservation and economic sovereignty.