Finishing Touches

Hi Bloggers,

Attached below is just a small sample of the materials and finishes that will be making their way into the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library Competition 2014 camp design.

I have chosen these items because I feel that they would be appropriate in the space by their color, content, or application.

I guess my favorite would have to be the Silestone quartz counter tops with their antimicrobial benefits. This counter top, I think, is great with kids. We all know that kids don’t wash their hands like they should and so this counter top will be a great addition to the space.

Have a FABULOUS day today and thanks for stopping by my blog. 

 

Come on in

Design Overview

The main entrance of the camp is surrounded by quarter-sawn timber columns with a river rock masonry base. The structure is entered on the north side with a “zero-step” threshold allowing for campers with special needs to enter without incident. The timber columns rise up to support the covered balcony overhead. On the floor in the vestibule is the logo of Camp Lackawaxen. Also on the floor are carpet floor tiles installed in a diamond pattern in the concept colors green, blue, and red with two shades of gray neutrals to ground the design. The two shades of gray will outline the perimeter which will aid visually challenged youths to navigate through the space.   To the left is the activity center. The activity center was placed here to take advantage of as much square footage as possible. Three walls with many windows surrounding the activity center offer ample lighting into the space. The ceiling height is over ten feet. Entering the activity center to your right you will see the stage “wall”. This is where the stage is housed when not in use. It has a roller shade concealing the stage. Behind the stage is the prop area with changing areas for boys and girls. This was placed in this area for direct access back and forth from the stage. At the back of the activity center is the art storage areas with a sink for cleanup. Going past the stage is a hallway that leads outside and to the other side of the 1^st floor. The restrooms are located here with easy access in any direction the campers wish to go. Past the bathrooms on the right is the nurse’s station. The nurse’s station is placed near the front entrance because of the need for it to be adjacent to the front entrance.

Happy Campers

Written By Sheryl Pugh

Randolph Community College

Lackawaxen Unity Camp Project: Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library competition

Fall 2014

Concept Statement

The concept chosen for the Camp Lackawaxen is “Courage is Growth”. This positive concept relays the courage needed for youths to step out of their comfort zone and connect with other youths who face different daily challenges. The main colors – blue, green, and red – are the primary color scheme. These colors work well with the concept because of their relation to courage. Blue is often linked to confidence, Red is linked to courage, and green is linked to growth. “Courage is Growth” was chosen to represent confidence meeting courage meeting growth. The concept joins together the design principles of rhythm, unity, and harmony that youths can relate to. The style of Camp Lackawaxen is traditional/contemporary keeping the youthful patterns in the activity areas where the youth can feel welcomed. A nature-inspired interior awaits the young camper which conveys the concept by relaying the images of trees and grass and their relation to growth in nature. This design will allow the youth to have fun and enjoy the activities and interact with each other and grow into the knowledge and understanding that they will learn about their peers. 

Hail to the Chief

	Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4, 1826)  Photo courtesy of Wikipedia "I cannot live without books"

James Madison (March 16, 1751-  June 28, 1836) Photo courtesy of Wikipedia  Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4, 1826)  Photo courtesy of Wikipedia "I cannot live without books"   “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”

Hi Bloggers,

1st stop - lunch at The Nook - Charlottesville, VA

Yum!

My interior design friends/classmates and our instructor recently went on a trip to Charlottesville, VA to visit the homes of two of our greatest  statesmen for the United States; James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. We left out for our journey to the see these historic homes last Thursday.The weather for this trip wasn’t the best but we made the best of it. We didn’t let it dampen our spirits. We arrived in the afternoon to first to see James Madison’s home – Montpelier. Montpelier is a Georgian architectural style home. Montpelier is the home of our fourth President James Madison and his wife, Dolley. James, 43, (a congressman at the time), would marry the young and widowed Dolley, 26.They had no children together. Dolley would be quite the social butterfly and decorator of the home, while James preferred to be in the background.
James Madison was also referred to as the “father of our
constitution”because of his involvement in outlining its contents.James Madison’s grandfather first owned the property and named it Mount Pleasant. The home had several structural additions to it over
the years. It was about 1781 that James Madison would change the name to Montpelier after letters surfaced that he liked the spelling of the name in French and also liked the resort in France with the name Montpellier.  The Historical Preservation Society has owned the home since 1984 and have done extensive renovations on the home to restore it to as close as possible to its original state.
 

 The weather was a little better on Friday as we made our way to Monticello. Monticello is the home and burial place of our third president, founder of the declaration of independence, and the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson, a self-taught architect designed Monticello in the Palladian architectural style. The home is situated on 5,000 acres in Charlottesville, VA. The grounds consist of flower and vegetable gardens. Even today if you eat in the café down the hill you can enjoy vegetables still grown on the property. The Thomas Jefferson foundation was formed in 1923 as a non-profit organization to keep Monticello the restoration of Monticello ongoing and to keep educating people on its history.  

Thomas Jefferson spoke seven languages and served our country for nearly forty years. He married Martha Skelton and only had two children survive to adulthood. He never remarried. It has been proven with DNA that he fathered many children with a slave Sally Hemings. Although it is said he opposed slavery all his life he had many slaves and only freed a small fraction of them. Thomas Jefferson was very instrumental in several historical events in our nation’s history, specifically the Lewis and Clarke expedition, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Embargo Act of 1807. Thomas Jefferson died on the 50^th anniversary of the declaration of independence.
 

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were key figures in the events that shaped this nation. It was a great experience to visit these homes and walk on the grounds and just try to imagine what it must have been like to live during this time period. I also take great value in our history and its preservation. I am glad to see groups that are taking the steps necessary to maintain these homes for individuals to visit and delve into their world for a little while. Being an interior design student it was fascinating to see how these homes were designed and built.

 

Wow! What a view from the front porch

As you can see the weather was not great, but we were prepared

I love this front door - the sidelight windows are actually pocket windows that open to let allow for ventilation when needed. Fabulous!

My friend Gina Hicks in the Gardens at Montpelier

 

The Gardens at Montpelier

	The grounds at Monticello			The grounds at Monticello

 

I love this photo of the tunnel that runs under Monticello. The food and beverage cellars are housed here.

Thank you, Holly for taking us to see these great historical homes. I am sure it was one for the books!