Custom Clay Tiles
Recreating the Look of Traditional Native Dwellings in Santa Ynez, California
by Camille Dodson, Editorial Assistant
In May of 2025, the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center in Santa Ynez, California, finally opened its doors to the public. While this was an exciting moment for the surrounding area and the historical community, the grand opening also signaled the completion of a years-long project. The 14,000 sq.ft. facility showcases a portion of the tribe’s collection of more than 24,000 historically significant cultural items, including baskets, musical instruments, hunting tools, ceremonial items, and regalia, highlighting the richness and diversity of Chumash culture.
The idea of building a museum for the Santa Ynez Chumash Indians began some 50 years ago. In the mid-1970s, a tule ‘Ap, the traditional Chumash dwelling, was constructed on the Santa Ynez Reservation to showcase Chumash artifacts. In 2000, the real momentum began when the tribe submitted an application to place a 6.9-acre parcel across from the reservation into a federal trust to build a museum.
The final plan for the museum was designed by the award-winning Johnpaul Jones, with Jones and Jones Architects, Seattle, Washington, who also designed the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The museum’s unique architecture is anchored by large dome structures that pay homage to the Chumash tule ‘Ap. Ultimately, Jones decided that the tule ‘Ap structures would be made using custom-made tile to keep to the original style of the ‘Ap while using a sturdier material.
Of course, when it comes to custom-made historical tile in California, calling on the experts meant reaching out to MCA® Clay Roof Tile, Corona, California. Back in 1992, MCA Tile designed a system that allowed them to make almost any shape of extruded clay tiles, including tiles for unique turret roofs, historical S tiles, two piece mission tiles, flat tiles, and tiles for dome-shaped roofs. Now this system is optimized using 3D roof modeling to get the exact size and shape of each tile necessary for the roofs that they make tiles for.
“The development of the tiles went smoothly,” said the Project Management Team from the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center. “The architect has a relationship with MCA Tile and was familiar with their work from previous jobs. They coordinated throughout the process to get Chumash the beautiful domes the museum has today.”
The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center has three large tile ‘Ap structures, each with a different size and basket-inspired glazing pattern. The largest ‘Ap dome used 37 different sizes of trapezoid tiles, and the smallest used only ten.
“Our staff measured each trapezoid’s dimensions, and we made cutters based on the dry tiles and the fired shrinkage,” said Yoshi Suzuki, President and CEO of MCA Tile. “The product architect specified nine total different shapes of matte-finish yellow and brown engobe glaze colors. The flat tiles had a fine wire-brushed texture to help simulate an old Chumash native house.”
After MCA made the tiles, it then took the hands of a highly skilled roofing team to install them. Letner Roofing, Orange, California, was called in for the job. Letner Roofing adeptly installed the multitude of tiles to create a beautiful and intricate final project that faithfully reflects the style of the ‘Ap dwelling.
Throughout the museum’s construction, it additionally received recognition for its environmentally sound design, earning LEED® Silver certification from the United States Building Council in 2023. With this prestigious distinction, the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center joined the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian as the only Native American museums in the country certified at LEED Silver or better. The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center scored high marks for its water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials, resources, and innovative design.
After many years in the making, the cultural center is now proudly able to display its exhibit to the public. The museum’s beautiful and unique design, coupled with its sprawling grounds and extensive collection of Chumash cultural items, has ensured that any visit to the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center will be a memorable experience.
