On the Boards: Camp Revamp
Over the years, OPAL has become well-versed in designing within Maine’s Shoreland Zone, which regulates structures located along the coast and lakefronts. Working on existing, non-conforming structures in the restrictive Shoreland Zone necessitates creative, problem-solving design. Too much intervention requires relocating the structure outside of the setback, so we often find ourselves walking the line between preserving the existing and modifying with new. The adaptive reuse of existing structures lessens impact on the site and lake ecology while also reducing the project’s embodied carbon when compared to all-new construction.
A classic log-sided camp on a lake in western Maine, our Camp Revamp project pushes the limits of a renovation while fully transforming the existing seasonal cottage into a modern, high-performance getaway. This metamorphosis appends an addition and re-works the roof form to allow for a band of clerestory windows to bring light to the camp’s interior. This project also allowed us to test the limits of our new rendering software. The new software lets us recreate site features and vegetation, helping to embed the design proposal in the natural context to a much greater degree than before.
