Elizabeth's Tree House Eetzaal by McCauley Daye O'Connell Architects

Elizabeth's Tree House Eetzaal by McCauley Daye O'Connell Architects is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award in Zilver in Interieur en Tentoonstellingsontwerp Competition Category.

ZilverInterieur· 2020

Elizabeth's Tree House Eetzaal

by McCauley Daye O'Connell Architects

Client: Barretstown Camp

A' Design Award in Zilver Winner in Interieur Category

34,745

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #104597

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Elizabeth's Tree House Eetzaal

Elizabeth's Tree House, een demonstratie van de rol van architectuur in het genezingsproces, is een nieuw eetpaviljoen voor een therapeutisch kamp in Kildare. De ruimte dient voor kinderen die herstellen van een ernstige ziekte en vormt een houten oase midden in een eikenbos. Een dynamisch maar functioneel houten diagritsysteem omvat een expressief dak, uitgebreide beglazing en een kleurrijke lariksbekleding, waardoor een eetruimte aan de binnenkant ontstaat die een dialoog vormt met het omringende meer en bos. Een diepe verbinding met de natuur op alle niveaus bevordert gebruikerscomfort, ontspanning, genezing en betovering.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Zilver

Elizabeth's Tree House Eetzaal is winnaar van de A' Design Award in Zilver, een buitengewoon prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan topontwerpen die prachtig en indrukwekkend zijn. Winnaars in Zilver zijn enorm briljante en uiterst creatieve werken die de uitmuntende expertise, het talent en de scherpzinnigheid van hun ontwerpers illustreren. Elizabeth's Tree House Eetzaal wordt verwacht een prachtig paradepaardje te zijn dat opmerkelijk professioneel en diepgaand innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in Zilver heeft gewonnen, is een hoogst opmerkelijke, bewonderde uitvinding die baat en de grenzen van kunst, wetenschap, ontwerp en technologie verlegt. Elizabeth's Tree House Eetzaal is een zeer benijde creatie die verlangens oproept, positieve gevoelens brengt en verbazing en verwondering doet ontvlammen.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

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.
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.
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.
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.