The Origin of Hero (2021)
Henry McCoy took the pictures.
Caleb Seney, Executive Director of MedCamps:Following COVID, Arch335 returned to Camp Alabama in 2021. With all the new property at Camp Alabama, it was decided that we required a new, grand entrance on Hwy 821. This entrance will eventually serve as the main entry to Camp Alabama. This was the second project on the newly acquired Camp Alabama land. Every camper’s first impression of Camp Alabama will be this project, which is a grand one as our master design for the camp continues to come to life. The portal gates farther in give the camp a Jurrasic Park-style entrance, and the gate and pilons on the highway are illuminated at night, displaying the Camp Alabama insignia to onlookers. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a 60-foot spiraling tower with the Camp Alabama insignia at the top at the same entryway. On check-in days, this tower, which is visible from the camp a half mile away, excites our campers.
Brad Deal, a professor of technology:Following the COVID shutdown, this project represented our cautious comeback and our first two-quarter schedule. It had both significant achievements and setbacks. A strong ice storm in February destroyed the barn after two months of planning, adding weeks to our schedule for redesign, demolition, and material recovery. Ultimately, it strengthened the project and the class. The highest of the three buildings constructed at camp this year, standing 75 feet tall, nearly failed. The tower suffered significant damage during transit approximately a week before to completion. We considered letting it go, but the team came together and quickly rebuilt the top third, making the last crane installation a memorable event.
Program Overview: Reclaimed materials were used to build a new entry court with a tower, gate, and portal for a summer camp for kids with special needs.
Statement of Program:Recollections of the ageless American custom of sleep-away summer camp are potent, ranging from initial impressions to profound experiences. For children with impairments and chronic illnesses, our design job was to evoke the feelings of anticipation, arrival, and transition into the carefree world of summer pleasure. This new entrance, which is the first phase of a new master plan, moves camper check-in from a busy highway to a peaceful country road, enabling a more methodical and safe approach. Three distinct entry aspects were created upon arrival, each loosely based on a scene from Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: The and finally. A colossal tower emerges from the scenery as one crests the undulating hills, creating suspense. When one arrives at camp, stoic pylons with mature pecan trees on either side make a ceremonial greeting. Excitement builds as you cross the doorway and see the tall wood doors surrounded by a dramatic red frame visually anchored by hefty gabion walls. The enormous doors, which lead to summer camp enjoyment, ceremoniously open at check-in time. The children who visit this facility—many of whom have serious health conditions—have a profoundly transformational experience here, frequently gaining uncommon moments of freedom, independence, and belonging. Through The Hero’s Origin, a modest yet powerful entryway to adventure, we commemorate those significant occasions.
Team for the Project:
Professors: Brad Deal and Robert Brooks
Students: Ben Hall, Brad Gregg, Curtis Gremillion, Emery Johnson, Hanna Sims, Jacob Forst, Jenna Roblee, Anna Barrera, Anna Cavaretta, Ashleigh Ogden, Ashley White, and Kevin Kirkland Nia Carlton, Skyla Rae Lewis, Stephanie Jimenez, Tanner Talmadge, William Higginbotham, Madison Waldron, Megan Povirk, Michael Mitchell, Molly Spencer, Nahille Vargas, Jonathan Ferguson, Keenan Parker, Kyle Sieberth, Madison Waldron, and Yuan Zhou
Honored by the 2021 AIA Honorable Mention in Louisiana
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