Elizabeth's Tree House Dining Hall

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Flanked by a secret garden wall and castle landscaping, the radiating diagrid pattern weaves and forms a new building which adopts to the landscape and characteristics of the wider grounds and structures. The building blurs the lines of indoor / outdoor space with irregular shapes and floating terraces. Energetic vibrant colours are used extensively throughout with a sense of fun in mind. A playful place in constant dialogue with nature. A new focal point. An inclusive space for all to enjoy collectively, night and day.

Dimensions & Packaging

A bright and airy dining space greets children on entry, where large areas of glass in the walls and roof maximise natural light and capitalise on views of the rolling landscape. The structurally expressive roof, punctuated with four large triangular roof lights, is supported by four primary steel/timber “tree” columns, continuing the dialogue between inside and outside. The internal space is also connected to an external deck via a series of sliding doors, allowing for universal access onto an external space overlooking the existing pond.

Tags

healing, sustainable, universaldesign, therapeutic, timber

Production Technology

The scheme’s attention to performance extends to its materiality. The building is heavily insulated, achieving an A3 energy rating, while the primary timber structure ensures that walls, roofs, and external cladding are derived from sustainable sources. The entire timber cladding is protected using Sioo, an environmentally-friendly, water-based system, while a secondary aluminum sub-frame allows the timber cladding to be panelised to match the geometric grid lines and natural rigour of the diagrid design.

Design Challenge

Camp is situated in Kildare and provides full dining, sleeping and activities for weekend camps for children and their families affected by cancer and serious illness. The camp helps children and their families deal with the emotional and physiological scars often left after months and years of treatment. Offering a completely free stay at their camp, their experience is based on a therapeutic recreation model leading to recovery, with children leaving the camp with increased confidence, self-esteem and the skills they need to face the rest of their journey to recovery. Camp needed a much-improved dining experience and they wanted this to be a magical place; a bright and airy place; a central fulcrum for the campers which would espouse the ethos of their successful therapeutic recreation model.

Project Duration

The project started in January 2016 and was completed in December 2016 in Co. Kildare, Ireland

Operation Flow

The resulting scheme is functional yet magical. Echoing the therapeutic nature of this medically endorsed camp, the pavilion is a demonstration of the role of architecture in the healing process, where a deep connection with nature at all levels promotes user comfort, relaxation, healing, and enchantment.

Research

Using the therapeutic recreation model the building design was developed to not only respect and preserve its natural habitat but to fully integrate the building and the experience into it. Using natural materials, we created a fun “treehouse” concept with internal trees and a rising volume. Large areas of glass in the walls and roof for natural light are capitalising on the views and rolling landscape, with plenty of colour for “serious fun”. Like other therapeutic centers, the positive impact of well-designed buildings on the human healing process is well documented. Architecture takes a risk in a bid to join in on the celebration of life and healing environment so carefully created in the camp.

Inspiration

Located in an overgrown woodland in the heart of the camp, the new dining hall was imagined as a treehouse in the forest, weaving through the tall oak trees to create a dialogue with nature. In keeping with the camp’s ethos of serious fun, the dining pavilion is envisioned as an enchanted portal surrounded by nature, forming connections with the lake, countryside, and forest life.

Image Credits

Image #1: Photographer Donal Murphy, 2017.
Image #2: Photographer Donal Murphy, 2017.
Image #3: Photographer Donal Murphy, 2017.
Image #4: Photographer Donal Murphy, 2017.
Image #5: Photographer Donal Murphy, 2017.

Colors of Elizabeth's Tree House Dining Hall

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