Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mino-bimaadiziwin Affordable Living (LIHTC)
Responding to contemporary tribal life while honoring tradition
Designed with Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design, Mino-bimaadiziwin Affordable Living is a multifamily housing development located in the heart of the Minneapolis Native American Cultural Corridor that provides housing to Red Lake Ojibwe Band members and other local Native American residents, as well as brings much-needed services to the tribe’s urban population.
Mino-bimaadiziwin, which means “living the good life” in Ojibwe, features 110 units ranging from studios to three-bedroom units and is one of the first housing project developed by a tribal government in a major city. Cuningham collaborated closely with Red Lake Ojibwe members and other stakeholders to ensure the design was strongly rooted in place and aligned with enhancing and uplifting the resident experience and overall mission of the project.
Client: Red Lake Band of Chippewa
Market: Community
Size: 175,900 Square Feet
Scope: New Construction
Services: Architecture, Interior Design
Delivery Method: Design-Build
Specific design elements incorporating and celebrating the tribal culture include:
- A garden of four raised beds sitting adjacent to the clinic, which is based around the traditional form of an Ojibwe medicine garden.
- The ceiling and wall treatment throughout the building features locally sourced cedar, a sacred tree to the Ojibwe.
- The tribe’s traditional dances and brightly colored and patterned clothing are reflected in wall graphics in key locations throughout the property.
- Light fixtures and woven textured elements in the housing lobby reflecting traditional basket weaving.
- The coloring of the gathering circle is a graphic representation of the Ojibwe medicine wheel.
“Beyond the straightforward housing and services, Mino-bimaadiziwin serves a deeper purpose of bonding, teaching, and transmitting cultural knowledge that is deeply important to tribal cultures.”
Sam Olbekson
Founder and CEO, Full Circle Indigenous Planning + Design
Different property ‘zones’ represent the Red Lake tribe’s seven clans: Kingfisher (Internal Domestic Communications) is the housing portion of the building; Bald Eagle (Outgoing International Communications) is the Embassy office; Mink and Pine Martin (Social, Scouting, Hunting, Gathering) is the community center, kitchen, training, and daycare facilities; Black Bear (Defense and Healing) is the physical health portion of the clinic; and Turtle and Bullhead Catfish (Teaching and Healing) is the chemical health and mental health portion of the clinic.
Mino-bimaadiziwin features a community playground designed for exploration and engagement of children of all ages, underlining the importance of family and the mission to provide homes for a wide range of people; a gathering space with a wood pergola and colored concrete plaza, which provides a space for outdoor community events; as well as convenient amenities including laundry facilities and an attached parking ramp.
