NCS Campus Improvements Statement

Camp Treetops North Country School

North Country School and Camp Treetops Campus Improvements Guiding Principals May 2017 Summary The 200-acre campus of North Country School and Camp Treetops includes 14 year-round buildings and approximately 150 seasonal structures, all of which were designed and constructed with their natural surroundings in mind. Additionally, our campus develops and maintains land areas devoted to recreation, farming, fuel acquisition, etc., all used for various program purposes.

As Camp and School’s structures age and land use needs evolve, sufficient maintenance and strategic improvement become critical. The objective is to maintain and improve a campus that is true to the philosophy and intentions of Camp and School’s founders and subsequent leadership; meets the educational, housing, and safety needs of campers, students, and staff; and meaningfully expands learning and recreational opportunities for the community.

Therefore, strategic improvement to our buildings, structures, and grounds are made through a comprehensive decision-making process that includes:

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II.

III.

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VI.

A commitment to environmental sustainability Acknowledging historical and philosophical considerations Detailing rationale and future benefits to the program and community Seeking expert advice from architects, engineers, designers, regulatory agency personnel and other professionals Gathering input from key administrators and staff, whose primary responsibility it is to examine context and climate, and often from alumni Revising proposals for a campus improvement with information gathered in steps II-V of this process

Ultimately, a new or additional strategic improvement to our buildings, structures, and grounds needs to be scheduled among other budgeted priorities in the Camp and School master improvements plan. Our decision-making process balances a subjective desire for an improvement that meets a community need with an objective analysis of considerations and recommendations.

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Recent Strategic Improvements The decision-making process for strategic improvements to North Country School and Camp Treetops’ buildings, structures, and grounds has influenced recent projects. Highlighting individual considerations that together create the decision-making process framework, we recognize the ways in which these considerations have informed recent campus improvements.

Commitment to Environmental Sustainability Ex. 1 Over the past six years we have replaced all fuel oil heat plants on campus with high efficiency, European-style wood gasification boilers. This has reduced our consumption of fuel oil by an average of 27,000 gallons per year and significantly reduced our carbon footprint.

Ex. 2 Clark House was sided with white pine siding cut only from diseased white pine trees. Diseased American beech trees were used for the interior paneling. Sugar maple and yellow birch trees were used for the flooring. All trees were cut from and milled on campus. Using our own lumber significantly reduced what is known as “embodied energy,” or the energy consumed in the production and transportation of building materials.

Ex. 3 Three CTT structures have living roofs. Living roofs reduce storm surface runoffs typical of conventional roofs and according to various campers, increase our “cool factor”.

Note: We are now recognized within the upstate New York region as a leader in sustainability. For us sustainability has multiple components. We define sustainability initiatives as those that:

Support local economies Employ environmentally friendly practices Lower our carbon footprint Reduce our use of fossil fuel Create a more healthful indoor and outdoor environment

Historical and Philosophical Considerations Ex. 1 We strive to renovate buildings to maintain their nostalgic appearance while performing well over time. Unseen spray foam insulation and double- or triple-paned windows, in the visual style of the windows that they replaced, are examples of historical consideration.

Ex. 2 The expansion of the CTT Main House included considerable planning to ensure that it ‘felt the same’ as the old Main House. A goal was a careful renovation that would make seamless the old and the new.

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Benefits to the Program and Community Ex. 1 Main Building renovation conversations have included numerous focus groups to solicit input from faculty and all staff at School. Karen Culpepper represented the interests of Camp.

Ex. 2 The Senior Camp Hike House design involved almost a dozen meetings to ensure that we accommodated equipment and program needs.

Ex. 3 The Woods House renovation heeded a recommendation to maintain the original floor plan, which helps with supervision of children upstairs.

Ex. 4 Camp and School’s magazine, Organic Roots, and Friends’ Weekend have provided opportunities to share information about renovation, building, and landscaping projects with alumni/ ae and the full constitudency.

Expert Advice Ex. 1 (Regulations) Features that ordinarily would not be allowed (such as a chimney that doubles as a climbing wall, ropes as part of railings, and slides within buildings) are often worked into new and existing designs that require approval(s) because Camp and School has developed close relationships with those who regulate our activities.

Ex. 2 (Site) Converting Birch Bunk into a washhouse (and building another tent platform in which to house campers) involved considerable planning on the part of Karen Culpepper, with senior program camp directors and Dusty Grant.

Ex. 3 (Site) Relocating the 1991 Greenhouse required considerable time to stake and photograph the proposed new site and a master plan from architect Stephen Tilly.

Ex. 4 (AIA) Renovation and building projects (and this document) are informed by the American Institute of Architects’ “Ten Key Factors the Affect Any Design.”

Context and Climate Ex. 1 The design of Clark House included architectural features from the Main Building (including the curved stairs, a tower, and a slide).

Ex. 2 Newer CTT seasonal structures borrow from the playful designs of Doug Haskell.

Ex. 3 Remodeling and new construction must withstand the elements. Features like extended roof overhangs, heated walkways, and foundations appropriately far enough from the damp earth are examples.

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Budgeted Priorities Ex. 1 (Cost) Three CTT structures have “living roofs� instead of standard asphalt shingles. Though they cost more, over the long haul these roofs should last three to four times longer than conventional roofs.

Ex. 2 (Schedule) Clark House construction required numerous trenches around the Main Building, often requiring sentries to direct traffic and keep children safe.

Note: While the cost of a project is a significant factor in executing a campus improvement, programmatic needs are the primary consideration in the decision-making process.

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