The Story Behind The Hub’s Inspired Design

Each building at Point Hope has a story to tell. The Hub, our information center on the Village Green and the first stop for visitors, is a perfect example. The objective was to create a bright and welcoming space for visitors with lots of natural light to help highlight the beauty and landscape of the surrounding community. But the design team was also challenged to tie the design to Point Hope’s former property owner, Harry Frank Guggenheim, a pioneer of aviation and aeronautics.

Guggenheim’s legacy in these fields includes advocacy and financial support for research and innovation. His efforts included sponsoring Robert Goddard’s invention of the first liquid-fueled rocket, as well as the first “blind” airplane takeoff, flight and landing performed solely by referencing instruments. The famous flight was undertaken by Lieutenant James H. Doolittle, U.S. Army Air Corps, in 1929, and contributed to both men being inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. 

The design team at Charleston-based Stubbs Muldrow Architects set out to design a space that resembled an airplane hangar, with soaring ceilings, a large central open space and tons of glass windows to bring the outdoors inside. Standing in the space, which overlooks the Village Green on one side and out to the activity on Point Hope Parkway on another, the visitor truly gets the sense that they are in the center of the community. It has a modern feel, but with grounding details like carpeting that resembles a stone pathway and “living edge” shelving (with its own unique story to tell), all organic elements that help anchor the contemporary architecture.

In addition to serving as a resource center for those seeking to learn about opportunities to live at Point Hope, The Hub contains informative displays about the history of the property, including the legacy of Harry Frank Guggenheim. It’s open seven days a week, and visitors are welcome!