Goals

Jigzibik (pronounced “jeeg’-zee-beek”) is the first Native American-focused affordable housing project in the city of Chicago. Located in Irving Park, the project strives to fill the void not only in providing affordable housing within a vibrant community but also in completing the urban context along a major thoroughfare. Taking inspiration from the vernacular architecture and cultures of the various Great Lakes Indigenous nations, the design balances the need for affordable housing with the desire to celebrate Native American culture through built form – and serve as a catalyst for Native American-inclusive housing in Chicago. Jigzibik is a Potawatomi word meaning “at the river’s edge” and was named by the project’s Native American Advisory Council. 

Results

The building design consists of 45 units, with a mix of unit sizes focusing on family-sized units, office space on the ground floor for local Native American-focused non-profit organizations, and community space on the roof – featuring multi-purpose space, rooftop garden for meditation and gathering, supportive offices, and gathering spaces for native cultural practices. The building design focuses on the expression of Native American culture through the themes of environmental stewardship, connectivity to nature, health, wellness, and intergenerational passing of knowledge for building residents and members of the larger community.