Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, Katahdin, ME, USA

In the present and traditional homeland of the Penobscot Nation, Tekαkαpimək (“as far as you can see”) Contact Station is a low carbon, off-grid building welcoming the global public to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in northern Maine. This project, in consultation with the National Park Service (NPS), was led by a Wabanaki Advisory Board and Elliotsville Foundation, Inc. which held “Reserved Rights” on portions of the 87,500 acres of Monument land donated to the United States on behalf of Burt’s Bees founder Roxanne Quimby.

The Monument lands are within the present and traditional homeland of the Penobscot Nation and are inextricably linked with Penobscot culture, ceremonies, oral traditions, language, history, and indigenous stewardship which continues the respectful relationship with the land and waterways that has gone back more than 11,000 years. Katahdin is a culturally significant place to the Wabanaki people where connecting watersheds provide important travel routes for Wabanaki people of Maine, comprised of Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations. The project was accepted in whole as a donation to the United States for management by the NPS.

The design of the contact station is based on a symbiotic relationship of the building to its environment that maximizes passive design strategies for heating and cooling as well as using predominantly renewable sources from the immediate site for its operation. The environmental concept set ambitious sustainability goals to design a self-sufficient and environmentally responsible building – also in a way that is apparent to Monument visitors, such as fritted bird-safe glass, and serves as a tool for teaching the public.

The Tekαkαpimək Contact Station seamlessly integrates sustainable features into its distinctive architectural design. These include a Trombe wall, natural ventilation for summer conditioning (eliminating mechanical cooling), photovoltaic electricity generation, battery storage, efficient radiant floor heating powered by an air-source heat pump, and three high-efficiency wood-burning fireplaces. The station achieves a fully off-grid, reliable, and energy-independent system, with propane generator and boiler in place as emergency back-up.

The Trombe wall, located near the entry area, absorbs solar energy to provide passive heating. Its façade features four exterior windows with a concrete wall behind the glass, which absorbs and stores heat during the day. In winter, preheated air from the Trombe wall is directed to the Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV) and distributed throughout the building.

The building operates entirely off-grid, powered by a 37-kW solar array with six lithium batteries, providing 184 kWh of total storage. During periods of low solar availability, such as cloudy days or nighttime, the building draws power from the batteries. A backup propane boiler and electric generator are available if battery levels become critical. This design minimizes propane use and maximizes reliance on renewable energy.

There is no active cooling; all cooling needs are met through passive strategies, including natural ventilation, night flush cooling, thermal mass, exterior shading, and ceiling fans. In addition to its very low operational carbon footprint, the building also has low embodied carbon, thanks to its mass timber structure. The CLT timber was sustainably sourced and FSC-certified, while the glulam was manufactured on the U.S. East Coast. The Douglas fir timber used for interior structural columns was custom-laminated locally through a rigorously tested onsite process that preserves the natural look and feel of the wood.

The building and its surrounding site serve as an orientation center, welcoming and educating Monument visitors through an Indigenous lens.
All Wabanaki Cultural Knowledge and Intellectual Property shared within this project is owned by the Wabanaki Nations.