Envisioning architectural & engineering relationships to the land inspired by indigenous ways of being

July 2023 - Blog post

The indigenous Ohlone tribe established the first human settlements on the San Francisco shore 5,000 years ago in a place called the “West Berkeley Shellmound.”

The indigenous Ohlone tribe established the first human settlements on the San Francisco shore 5,000 years ago in a place called the “West Berkeley Shellmound.” This very sacred & historic heritage site was colonized and is currently a sad parking lot. Inspired by the Ohlone vision to revive this space, I imagine how different the East Bay architecture & landscape would look if it had not been colonized and its population lived aligned with ecological health.

What would the east bay look like if it had not been colonized?

The Ohlone people share a whole set of aspirations for the relationship between land & people. I hope to take you on a little walk of imagining how indigenous communities would have shaped the land - as architects and engineers who consciously influence their environment.

https://www.omprakash.org/blog/ohlone-shellmound-vision-and-east-bay-architecture