KTU+A

Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center

KTU+A prrepared a master plan and Phase 1 construction documents for a five-acre site that was once part of a larger Indian settlement that extended across the Poway Valley. The site consists of an undeveloped knoll and boulder outcrops. The goal of the master plan was to create a place that educates visitors about the Kumeyaay past and present, while being respectful of the land’s ancient heritage, its natural resources, and the cultural significance it represents today. A series of interpretive gardens add an educational component to the site.

The Water Conservation Walk educates visitors about how water conservation techniques can be utilized in the landscape. The exhibit transitions from a native/very low water use planting on the north, to a native/low water use planting, and culminates at a native/moderate water use planting to the south. The irrigation system is designed to provide the most efficient watering per plant type. Techniques include zone planting, controller/ETR sensors, varied delivery systems, runoff reuse, cisterns and captured water, and time-of-day watering schedules.

A Native Garden Walk demonstrates the wide variety of plants the Ipai used for cultural ceremonies, food, construction, medicine and arts and crafts. The Brush Management Exhibit provides a comparison of the Ipai brush management techniques, contemporary management and unmanaged native land.