Location: Taholah, WA

Square feet: 10,000

Project Completion: 2025

Project Description:

The new Queets Generations Building provides modern, inviting spaces for Quinault members to gather and connect as a community. The 10,000 SF building is home to both the Elders' Center and the Early Learning Center, thoughtfully designed to nurture the next generation while intertwining care for elders in the community. While each program has a dedicated entryway, shared visual and cultural elements, including a Queets River–inspired floor graphic, create a meaningful link between spaces. The 4,000 SF Elders' Center boasts a spacious gathering area upon entry with a connected dining area featuring a beverage serving station, buffet counters with warmers, and pantries serving several free meals a week. Toward the back of the Elders' Center is a lounge that provides ample space for general seating and is intended for elders to use for crafts and recreational activities. The walk-in storage makes it easy for visitors to store their materials for native art, equipment, and more.

 The Early Learning Center is approximately 6,000 SF and has three classrooms designed for different age groups, including infant, toddler, and school age 6 and under. These spaces are uniquely themed as air, water, or earth, with a complementary color scheme to match. Adjacent to the classrooms is the outdoor play area, which has distinct areas for the different age groups and is separated by a small fence to ensure children are playing on age-appropriate equipment. In the toddler area, there is a concrete track encircling the lawn for toddlers to enjoy riding trikes. In addition to supporting daily programming, the building was designed with resilience and safety in mind. Large generators, storage for cots, the commercial kitchen and accessible showers allow the facility to serve as a refuge during a tsunami event, reinforcing its role as a vital community asset.