Friday Cabins #67: A Summer Camp of Childhood Dreams
Friday Cabins #67: A Summer Camp of Childhood Dreams
After a fire destroyed this Girl Scout campground, an awesome upgrade was built to inspire a new generation of outdoors lovers
Happy Friday! And not just any Friday, but a holiday Friday for those of you Stateside. Here's hoping you're reading this on your way to a weekend getaway or maybe with plans to do nothing for the next three days—which is equally admirable. Per usual, we're here with our weekly newsletter that covers everything cabins, from cool projects, to emerging trends, to whatever we feel like exploring. So join us why don't ya.
Today, we're gonna keep it short and sweet with a look at a unique project that may just conjure up memories of summers past…as it's a decked-out Girl Scout camp. And we gotta say, it's pretty awesome.
So read on, then enjoy some well-deserved time off.
⛺ LA Girl Scout Campground Gets a Renovation Inspired by the Humble Tent
After a 2010 fire destroyed part of a campground of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles chapter, leadership commissioned architecture studio Perkins & Will to rebuild. Now, the new Frazier Park Camp Lakota campus is complete and features 24 new cabins, restroom facilities, and a giant 10,000-square-foot dining hall.
Inspired by the shape of a classic camping tent and the surrounding pine trees, the cabins and dining hall are A-frames (which you already know we love), and were placed strategically so as to avoid disturbing the surrounding ecology. They also float above the ground, so critters and water can run naturally underneath.
The cabins are arranged in "neighborhoods" of six, with a shared restroom facility between them. Inside, they feature simple bunk beds and storage units for campers, with central skylights running the length of the sloping roof.
The spacious dining hall is made of glue-laminated timber topped with a corrugated metal roof. Facing views of the valley below, windows span the longer side of the building, with a spacious deck to match. On the interior, a kitchen and restrooms are tucked behind the main "A".
The structures also make use of natural ventilation, with louvered windows allowing hot air to rise out of ventilation panels at the topmost point of the triangles.
Overall, Perkins & Will sought to construct a master plan and resulting structures that felt safe and comfortable, allowing campers to take risks, learn, and grow in an enriching environment—both built and natural.
The project exemplifies how architecture—and more specifically cabins—-can be seamlessly integrated into an environment, acting as a companion to the inhabitant’s lifestyle, rather than just a place of rest and shelter. With simple techniques and thoughtful orientation, architecture is capable of generating safety, community, and exploration. Ultimately, good-design is an act of care.
that’s it! have a good wknd
t.t.y.s <3
-ee