Tammy Eagle Bull Is Weaving Indigenous Design Into Modern Architecture
The ASU professor is educating the next generation of architects to incorporate resiliency, cultural literacy, and a deep understanding of the natural environment into their work.
Climate change and a housing crisis in the United States have prompted architects to redefine their approach. Tammy Eagle Bull, the first Indigenous woman licensed to practice architecture in the U.S., has been a vocal advocate for integrating resiliency, cultural literacy, and environmental understanding into architectural practices for years.
She worked on projects for tribal communities such as the Porcupine School and the Oglala Lakota Artspace, which incorporated Indigenous knowledge in their designs. However, she believed these principles could be applied universally.
Eagle Bull emphasizes the importance of understanding a site's historical context, including its original inhabitants and their way of life. This is particularly relevant in areas facing extreme heat, like Phoenix, which experienced 113 consecutive days of temperatures above 100°F in 2024. She points out that indigenous communities once thrived in such conditions, employing strategies to manage water and heat.
These are the foundations of modern design concepts like the "Passive House" and "life-centered design," which both integrate local ecology and circularity.
As a professor at Arizona State University's Design School, Eagle Bull is educating future architects in these principles. Her students have proposed creative solutions for housing the homeless in Phoenix that incorporate Native culture and practices, such as co-housing. In 2025, she became the director of a new Master's program at ASU that focuses on Indigenous design, recognizing the value of cultural practices in addressing environmental challenges and fostering community well-being.
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