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Architects: Studio North
- Area: 3900 ft²
- Year: 2009
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Photographs:Matthew Kennedy
Text description provided by the architects. Camp at Cabot Beach is designed to address the needs of children between the ages of 8-17 who are living in families that have been affected by chronic illness or disability. The camp was established 5 years ago and runs for 3 weeks every August. In 2009 they needed new facilities.
In collaboration with 3 other colleagues, we lived on site to design and build the camp in a short 4 months. The facilities include a staff washroom, a camper washroom, outdoor showers, a kitchen, and a dining hall that accommodates 80 children and 20 staff.
The concept was to create a linear layout that acts as a boundary that together with the forest edge defines the realm of the camp. Once you pass across this ‘line’ you are embraced by the camp ‘bubble.’ This is the children’s escape.
The simple form of the design focuses on natural day lighting and passive ventilation. The heavier southern wall is insulated to block out the hot summer sun and the noise of the busy rural community. Viewed from the road and fisherman’s village, the public side of the building incorporates a simple facade using traditional materials, melding the camp into the landscape with other agricultural buildings. The north side is designed to be open, the dining hall having lighter transparent walls that skew the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. This way a harmony is maintained between the activities taking place both in and out of the hall.
