Two bunkhouses that we designed for a Girl Scout camp near Kansas City are entering the final weeks of construction. Camp Prairie Schooner sits high on the bluffs of the Little Blue River, halfway between Lee’s Summit and Independence, Missouri. The camp has 176 wooded acres in all, a wilderness experience only 15 miles from downtown KC.
The Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri selected el dorado to update Camp Prairie Schooner with improved bunk rooms, flex rooms, kitchens, WI-FI, up to 40 campers to use year-round, as well as conditioned bathrooms that serve the whole camp.
Camp Prairie Schooner Floor Plan
Camp Prairie Schooner North and West Elevation
Camp Prairie Schooner South and East Elevation
The buildings are sheathed in two shades of corrugated metal, which wraps up the exterior walls and over the roof. The end walls of the bunkhouses utilize painted cement board panels, with classic colors taken from Girl Scout cookie boxes.
The addition of polygal into the wall system lets light into the space while still providing privacy. Green and orange identify each separate troop house, purple marks the bathroom facilities. The panels are painted and ready to be placed on the walls.
On the interior, spherical string lamp shades have been hung from the ceiling, adding light and orbs of color to the interior. The artist who created them, Brandi Pulver, was a former Girl Scout herself.
It’s been a dream to work with Haren Laughlin Construction. Next time you see them, give ‘em a pat on the back for bringing the project in on time and on budget. We’re looking forward to spring. Around the time the leaves return to the trees and the bluffs turns from a dull brown to a dense and brilliant green, our bunkhouses will be finished and full of campers, the architecture just one small part of a remarkable camp experience.
Posted on January 23rd, 2012 at 10:54 am by eldo