Across from McMahon Hall on the north side of campus, the N6 parking lot rests underneath a canopy of trees, but if current plans pan out, by 2012, UW diversity leaders hope to see a longhouse-style building standing there among the trees.

At the Board of Regents meeting on Sept. 17, Jones & Jones Architects was selected by the Architectural Commission to begin drawing up sketches of the UW House of Knowledge, a facility where Native American students, faculty members and various other cultural groups can gather to share their experiences.

The Architectural Commission interviewed three firms earlier in the month, and though the bidding process was competitive, Jones & Jones won over the committee.

“They have a tremendous amount of experience managing and designing projects like the House of Knowledge,” said Dr. Sheila Lange, vice president of minority affairs and vice provost of diversity. “They have experience working with tribes and a reputation for careful listening as they design cultural facilities both on and off college campuses.”

Jones & Jones developed The Longhouse Education and Cultural Center at Evergreen State College and the Many Nations Longhouse at the University of Oregon.

“What is really exciting to me is that they developed the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall in Washington, D.C., which is a fantastic museum,” said student regent Ben Golden.

The longhouse is in the pre-design phase, but actual construction won’t begin until the project receives more funding. The estimated cost of the project is between $12 million and $15 million, but David Iyall, assistant vice president for advancement and a member of the Cowlitz Tribe, said that number is likely to change.

“Until we really understand exactly how many square feet we’ll have and what kind of materials we’ll use, we don’t have a solid understanding of the cost,” he said.

Committee leaders fear that fundraising in the current economic climate may be difficult, but they remain hopeful that the support will come. The funding for the facility includes a $3 million state allocation and donations from private foundations and tribes.

“Right now we feel that the tribes are likely to come through with some support for the project, so we’re not too anxious about that. We’ve been working closely with them all along,” Iyall said.

The Yakama Nation has agreed to provide any wood product they manufacture through the Yakama Forest Products division, which is estimated to be about a $100,000 value. Hundreds of Yakama Nation students have graduated from the UW, and the tribe also contributes to educational programs and research partnerships on campus. Additionally, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe has pledged $25,000 to the project.

Aside from fundraising, Lange thinks receiving input and support from the many interested community, staff and faculty members may be difficult as individuals tend to have conflicting opinions, but despite every challenge, she is excited to have the project under way.

“The longhouse will allow us to bring more elders, family members and native programs onto campus and connect them with our students,” she said. “Having a longhouse is a strong message that we welcome native students and do not require that they be disconnected from community and family to get an education.”

In fact, the university has had consistently low-retention and graduation rates among their Native American students, a statistic that UW First Nations members are hoping the House of Knowledge will change.

“This building is more than a building to our native students on campus,” said Tyson Johnston, First Nations powwow chair. “We feel that this is a commitment of the university to address these problems. Having this longhouse for us is like a symbol and an act of goodwill on the side of the university to honor the people who were here before us.”

Reach reporter Katie McVicker at news@dailyuw.com.