How can a space become a living bridge between one's cultural heritage and life in today's world —honoring traditions while transforming them into something interactive and participatory that inspires new ways forward?

In Classical Nahuatl, Ollin Cafetzin translates to Movement Coffee, a name that reflects the dynamic flow of stories, bodies, ideas, and community. The design draws inspiration from Nahui Ollin, the Mesoamerican concept of the four movements of creation and rebirth: introspection, collective knowledge, will to act, and transformation. These principles are embedded within the spatial organization and experiential design of the space, inviting deeper engagement with both the environment and the culture it represents.

More than a coffee shop, Ollin Cafetzin is conceived as a culturally responsive space for learning, sharing, and connection. An ethnic studies library is thoughtfully integrated into the space, providing a space for reflection and intellectual exchange alongside the vibrancy of coffee culture. The space is intended to be a living, evolving environment where ancestral knowledge is honored, reimagined, and passed on through daily interaction.

Through carefully designed areas for community talks, cultural events, and informal gatherings, the space encourages circular learning and the sharing of stories. The central circular bar serves as both a functional and symbolic element, acting as an anchor for everyday rituals of making coffee, engaging in conversation, and exchanging knowledge. The circular design reflects traditional gathering practices, where knowledge was passed face-to-face, in a circle, across generations. The bar invites fluid movement, allowing people to gather around it, pass by it, and return to it. It is a place where tradition and transformation meet, over and over again.

Location: Aurora, CO
Sector: Public / Community Spaces, Cafe
Status: In Construction, Estimated Completion 2025
Size: 2,000 SF
Services: Architecture, Equitable Design Consulting
Project Type: Commercial