Effective, Equitable Community engagement process: A case study of the participatory design process between the University of Utah and the Uintah-ouray reservation

In order to understand and strengthen the process of participatory design within the University of Utah's School of Architecture, this paper will analyze the case study of an undergraduate senior design studio using the participatory process to design a high school with the Northern Ute Tribe on the Uintah-Ouray Reservation. In order to achieve this, an outline of the participatory design process is introduced, then juxtaposed with a condensed history of the Uintah-Ouray Reservation and the Northern Ute Tribe. By doing this, the paper builds its foundation of the project upon the premise of the course and the community which it is involved with. Then the course itself is introduced and summarized. A resulting project from the course is then introduced as a case study to look at the level of cultural integration stimulated by the course. In order to continue exploring the potential cultural impact of the design, the same project is then designed further in writing. By doing so, the paper demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of the course's approach to engagement with the community and its culture. Many pieces of the course are commendable, such as its impetus from within the Ute Tribe and the college's respect for the community. Some of the concluding recommendations include further initial research into the knowledge systems of the Tribe as well as a repository for the work and knowledge gained by both groups which could be used in the future. While the School of Architecture should be commended on its enthusiastic engagement with the Northern Ute Tribe, a goal of this paper is to further develop course's participatory process in order to capitalize on the existing practices of the institution.