JICARILLA SUPERMARKET

Located in Dulce, New Mexico—about forty minutes south of the Colorado border—the Jicarilla Apache Supermarket serves as a vital community resource for the Jicarilla Apache Nation and surrounding rural region. SMPC was tasked with designing a new 20,000-square-foot, tribally owned grocery store to replace a failing 60,000-square-foot tilt-up concrete structure. The previous facility’s flat roof had succumbed to the area’s heavy alpine snow loads, underscoring the need for a more resilient, climate-responsive design.
The new supermarket is appropriately scaled to the community’s needs and designed to endure the challenging conditions of its remote, high-altitude setting. The building features durable cast-in-place concrete exterior walls and pitched roofs that manage snow accumulation effectively. Clerestory windows at the roofline bring abundant natural light into the interior, creating a bright, welcoming shopping experience. SMPC incorporated specialized systems to safely clear snow from the pitched roof, directing meltwater through designed swales away from the building to preserve site function and safety.
Maintaining grocery service during construction was essential. The design and construction sequencing accommodated continued operations of the existing store, with coordinated parking, access, and delivery routes to ensure uninterrupted service and safety for patrons. This logistical planning was crucial to supporting the community’s daily needs throughout the project.
The completed Jicarilla Apache Supermarket provides a durable, light-filled, and sustainable grocery environment designed to serve the Nation for generations. Its resilient design reflects SMPC’s commitment to creating contextually responsive, enduring architecture in service of New Mexico’s rural and tribal communities.

Photography by: Mattophoto