Montana State University’s 38,000 sq. ft. American Indian Hall (AIH) opened in October 2021 and now serves more than 800 Native American and Alaska Native students enrolled at the university.
With dedicated spaces for study, collaboration, and ceremony, AIH is a place for Native students to find a home away from home. The building also serves as a bridge between other cultures on campus and welcomes those from all backgrounds.
The structural design for the AIH is anything but ordinary. The combination of cartesian and polar grids required our structural team to design solutions incorporating the circle—prominent in Native culture—in AIH’s curved walls, roofs, and members. The wood and steel building also has five different types of lateral force-resisting elements, and— in addition to the curved structure—half floors, canted walls, sloped roof decks, and unique architectural features.
Culturally sensitive design
Glulam timber design
Information and communications technology (ICT)
LEED Platinum V4 status
Site-civil engineering
Stormwater management
Structural engineering
Structural insulated panels (SIPs)
From the beginning, MSU and the AIH team wanted to create a sustainable project. The AIH is the first building in Montana to earn LEED Platinum V4 certification, the United States Green Building Council’s highest rating. The structural team earned all three points in the structural materials category plus an additional point for “exemplary structural performance.” The structural points resulted from sourcing local materials, reusing site materials and soils, using wood as possible, and specifying fly ash to replace some of the cement in the concrete.
One of the most significant features is the awning in the shape of a feather. At 140 feet long, it is structurally supported by steel columns and glulam beams. Above the glulam beams, the roof diaphragm is constructed from structural insulated panels (SIPs).
Morrison-Maierle incorporated SIPs because they prioritize architectural requirements and aesthetic appeal while optimizing the building envelope performance.
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