The Lenape people are the original inhabitants of what is today New York City but due to colonization, the reservation system, and ongoing government policies, the Lenape have largely been displaced throughout North America to places such as Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada. With many Lenape still living in and around New York City, providing a centralized, autonomous space on ancestral land gives the relocated tribal members the opportunity to consolidate and welcome the diaspora home.

The basis of the theoretical approach behind this thesis project is the LandBack movement which is rooted in the principles of autonomy and land stewardship and ultimately works towards liberation through the return of ancestral land. It is distinct from the reservation system and instead works within contemporary legal frameworks to gain ownership of land without direct government supervision. LandBack offers a collective approach to regaining embodied sovereignty through healing generational violence and connects the past and the present with the future.

Three buildings surround a central gathering area and reflect the radiating site design. Invasive and non-native species have been culled, creating a park-like setting and varying densities of planting help to both open up and protect specific programmatic aspects of the 8 acre site. The buildings are constructed of mass timber with hempcrete floors and walls and house a large gathering hall, a catering/teaching kitchen, archival preservation, a crafting and learning center, a staging area for event days, and administrative offices. The facade is wood cladding that mirrors the undulating topography of the site and creates privacy when needed and openings when necessary. An external framing system, which harkens to Lenape design, surrounds the buildings and anchors them to both the ground and the sky and helps lead users through the site which includes a learning trail, meant to support the land stewardship mission inherent in the program. A Three Sisters companion garden is placed next to the teaching kitchen.