Gliún Tiny House Community and Outreach Center Vision Plan

Camp Gliún is envisioned to be a planned Indigenous community and a place of healing for houseless Indigenous people on sovereign land near Rapid City, SD. In the Lakota language, Gliún means “to return for good.” With roughly 50 percent of the Indigenous population in Rapid City living at or below the poverty line in their ancestral homelands, many Indigenous people don’t have a place in which to return for good. Houselessness is a significant challenge for Indigenous people in the area.

Developed by a Substance Architecture-led design team, the community-informed vision plan outlines Gliún’s approach to regenerative design focused on restoration of the land, building performance, and a holistic approach to serving individuals suffering from trauma. Gliún will provide more than transitional housing, fostering a true sense of belonging and safety for individuals choosing to live there.

Central to the development is an outreach center that provides wraparound support services, a kitchen, community hall, public shower and restroom facilities, laundry, and apartments for individuals requiring special care. Surrounding the Outreach Center are outdoor community spaces. Residents will have access to a community fire pit and outdoor amphitheater, a sweat lodge for traditional ceremonies, gardens, a playground, and community tool sheds. A tiny home community is located along a loop trail which connects the entire development. These homes are arranged in three clusters; allowing single women, single men, and families to have separation and privacy from one another. Each tiny home cluster will have a smaller centralized community space with outdoor tables and seating for social activities. These homes are all designed to Living Building standards and are intended to be net-zero energy structures.