This project is an attempt to understand translation, not only as a linguistic conversion, but as an interface between the disparate and seemingly incompatible mediums of language and space, all while embracing the things lost and gained in process. This project attempts to mistranslate the Navajo Hogan, a sacred hexagonal wood log structure. It is a structure that attempts to become a circle, but is limited by the linear nature of its material. Its entrance always faces the rising sun, facilitating varying eastern entrances throughout the year. The circulation is clockwise, with the north for the maize woman’s legs, west for the water woman’s legs, the south for the mountain woman’s legs, and the east for the earth woman’s legs. The program of a gas station, convenience store, communal kitchen, workshops, and water collection are facilitated here for the community of Round Rock. They each correspond to the representative directions within the hogan. The structure itself takes on the shape of the hexagon, with the eastern facing side kept open. Each arm contains a different roof section, overlapping in the center to create a roof. This project attempts to understand mistranslation in architecture, as spaces created by converging languages.
