Housing from a cultural perspective: The Hopi way of dwelling

Abstract

The traditional Hopi house is a manifestation of the society's place within a larger landscape. The plaza and the Kiva represent the spiritual communal spaces whereas the house is a more pragmatic domain for daily household activities. However, within the house itself there seem to be realms of both the spiritual and the pragmatic. Prior to the late 1800s, Hopi houses were two, three or four stories high. Generally the ground floors and subterranean levels were for the storage of grain and religious artifacts. The upper stories contained habitation rooms and roof terraces used for the more pragmatic chores of the household. Towards the turn of the century, due to numerous influences, the most prevalent living space became the one story house. Analysis of the interviews and observations of existing traditional houses and modern HUD houses shows that Hopi dwellings are still divided into two domains, the pragmatic daily chores in the main habitation room and the storage and/or bedrooms. This fact shows a continued, distinct Hopi use of space. Guidelines are proposed to incorporate these patterns for future housing. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)