The Seba Dalkai Boarding School in northeastern Arizona was designed for the Navajo Nation, and inspired by traditional/historic Hogan architecture. The site is arranged into a large octagon, symbolic of the Hogan, and rich with cultural significance. Each “homeroom” building is itself a smaller Hogan, and houses the dormitory facilities for the campus. The project reflects the importance of the four sacred directions, or cardinal directions, with the main entry facing east, as is customary in Navajo homes. The compound features state of the art data communications systems with distance learning capabilities, along with a multimedia theatre, classrooms, library/media center, and administrative areas. An outdoor performance space/amphitheater is the central feature of the outdoor spaces, and is shielded from the elements by the arrangement of structures around it.
The planning of the project involved working closely with the school board, teachers, students, and community leaders/elders. The site arrangement reflects the concept of a village environment – paying homage to the past while providing a state of the art academic environment for Navajo students.

LOCATION: Seba Dalkai, Arizona (Navajo Nation)
CLIENT: Navajo Nation/Bureau of Indian Affairs
DATE OF COMPLETION: 2002
SIZE: 115,000 s.f.
FEATURES: Compound of seven buildings with multimedia theater, classrooms, dormitories, and media center/library on a 30 acre site.

“ ...Perhaps most worthy of mention is your firm’s continued commitment with consideration for the client in cooperatively dealing with issues beyond those typically in the realm of the architect. Project ownership is a professional attribute necessary for the attainment of project goals.”

– Mr. Paul Spitzer, Project Administrator
Seba Dalkai Boarding School