MRV was hired to perform interior and finishes design services for Tangirnaq Native Village’s Katurgwik Community Building.
The building was already well into design-build when the tribe sought MRV’s design services to detail finishes and forms to ground the building culturally and bring it to life. MRV worked with TNV to create a material palette that represented their cultural identity. The exterior features a dark wood siding with elements of copper flashing, pulling from the look of the weathered wood used for traditional Alutiiq sod houses and the rich color of tanned salmon skin. Continuing with the sod house influence, the interior of the main gathering space will be clad in locally milled lumber both on the walls and ceiling, with locally milled beams and purlins framing the roof.
The use of traditional materials and colors is carried throughout the project with basalt wainscotting in the hallway, wood trim, and red, teal, and cream tile in the restrooms.
The clients were also highly invested in not just including areas for artwork to hang, but the integration of artwork as well. To do this, MRV designed a petroglyph pattern around the perimeter of the main hall floor, suggested the creation of a dance rattle as a light fixture in the entryway, provided enlarged wood trim to be painted in the style of the traditional wooden box panels, and utilized traditional weaving patterns as the inspiration for the restroom tile layout. MRV also worked with TNV to plan where artwork would hang to ensure proper display and lighting.
TNV’s goal for the Katurgwik Community Building is for it to be used by the entire community of Kodiak while also being grounded in cultural values and identity. To help visually communicate that identity, a large llam sua artwork will hang on the exterior of the building. This, along with the rest of the design work and the many hands that will go into accomplishing it, results in a cultural home for TNV and a shared space for Kodiak and visitors.
This project is expected to complete construction in December 2026.
