SITE FORCES

The initial and primary focus is to understand the character of the site and the forces acting on it and within it.  External interventions prevent the natural ecology from flourishing - a discovery that realized a need for a defensive approach to the design and form.  

DENSITY GRADIENT

The archetype of an outdoor campground has nostalgic character embedded in its history.
Maintaining this character is important.  In a densified design, this feeling of seclusion and space is easily lost.  Spreading the density of people and form is essential in making this non-traditional camp design successful.

SOCIAL GAPS

Physical gaps in the building form create unique indoor and outdoor spaces that promote spontaneous and programmed activity while breaking the form from its rigid and continuous structure. 

JOURNEY THROUGH THE SITE

Exploring the beach and the surrounding habitats is a primary focus of the OMSI program.  The site has a preexisting path in the southwest corner to the coast and the dunes that cut through the natural barriers surrounding the site.  Following the land’s topography and context, the northeast corner of the site offers great views  that would become the start of the journey to the beach.  

MINIMAL FOOTPRINT

In an effort to facilitate restoration of the site and its wetlands, a primary design intent is to keep the design footprint as minimal as possible.  To incorporate all the necessary spaces and program in a compact design, an additional level was added to the interconnected form that takes advantage of topographical barriers as protection from the negative external forces.

Structure Creates Personal Space

Framing the View