Visit to YMCA Camp Collins

On February 3, 2010,  I took a tour of YMCA Camp Collins. The tour started promptly at 10:00 am and finished approximately at 11:00 am.The reasoning for the visit was to gather research on an existing camp facility, and use the information to influence the sustainable camp design. Camp Collins was an excellent facility to tour. It offers the basic cabin, to LEED Platinum hobbit houses. While I was at the camp I visited all three villages: Adventure Village, Rotary Village, and Treetop Village.


Adventure- Most basic of the 3 villages. Includes bunks, and basic shelving in each cabin, and loft area for storage. Sleeps 14 in each cabin, 6 cabins total in 3 buildings. Each cabin had a separate room for the counselors.Photos: Left is a photo of the outside of one of the Adventure Village Cabins. Right is a glimpse on the inside the cabin.

Rotary - Most Eco-Friendly of the 3 villages. The design was inspired by the hobbit houses from the series The Lord of the Rings. Includes ceiling suspended bunks, individual shelving/ lights, Eco Roof, Cabin toilet/sink, Shelving for cleaning supplies,heated flooring and is certified as LEED Platinum.Photos: Left is a photo of Rotary Village layout, and Right is a photo of one of the Hobbit houses, notice it is below ground level.

Tree Top- Extends over a hilltop, and is similar to Rotary in it's innovated design. Roofing is at a steep slope, and on the interior their is natural lighting as well as exposed beams. Includes, ceiling suspended bunks, heated flooring, cabin toilet/sink, and individual shelving. Photos: On the left, is 3 of the Tree Top Cabins, and on the right, is the inside of one of the cabins, taken looking towards the rear.


Some things I would like to include in my design that Camp Collins offers: Heated Flooring, Exposed beam design (seen in Tree Top, and Dining Hall),  Health House, Separate, Counselor housing, Main Office, and Game Area.


Notes:



- Health house must have 1 bed for every 50 campers. The house included a full kitchen, suitable for a small group.Photos: left is a picture of the exterior of the bath house, right is a picture of one of the bunk rooms.

 - All of the buildings, excluding Adventure Village, had radiant floor heating.

- Tree Top Village's Bath house had a room separating the men and woman's side, serving as storage and easy access to piping and ventilation.Photo:See picture left of room.



- All cabins included multiple exits for emergency fire exits.

- Skylights were included in the Dinning hall, Rotary, and Tree Top Village to maximize natural lighting.Photo: Right, Skylight in a Hobbit House.



- Walk ways from the center of Rotary Village to the Hobbit Houses are not a straight path, increasing the natural design.


- Trees that were cleared to make room for Rotary Village, was reused as trim work with in the hobbit housing.Photo: Left, Majority of wood shown is from the trees that were cleared.




- The plants and soil that were cleared to make room for Rotary Village was reused on the Eco Roof.Photo:Right, is a side view of one of the hobbit houses with an Eco Roof.


 -All of  Tree Top cabins are connected on the back side with a deck. The railing on the deck was fisherman's netting.Photo: See photo on left.




- Tree Top had exposed beams which the suspended bunk were anchored to.Photo: See photo on right.

-Each cabin in Tree Top and Rotary had a room that housed the electrical as well as the for the heated flooring.
-Tree Top and Rotary used heated flooring to heat the cabins (Genius!)
- The trails were wood chips, and the trails were fenced in with benches, defining the trails as well as providing a space for camper to gather.
- Tree Top also included separate housing that could be used to house a guest speaker/ pastor/ camp counselor.Photo: See left photo.



 

Special Thanks to Willard Burks who was an amazing tour guide!