YMCA CAMP MANITOU
summer address:
27960 137th St. New Auburn, WI 54757
(e) camp@ymca-cv.org | (p) 715 839 4607
WELCOME TO LARSON LODGE!
PROJECT GOALS
Accommodate Growth
The current dining hall was built in the late 1950s. At the time, we served around 80 campers in a session. Additional seating space was added in the 1980s when we had 120 campers in a session. By the late 1990s and through the mid-2010s we had up to 180 campers in our sessions. We are now opening sessions to more than 220 campers, nearly DOUBLE where we were when the last addition was made.
Enhance Health and Safety
When sheltering during severe weather, campers currently utilize five separate spaces. These spaces are undersized, uncomfortable, and logistically complicated to get the kids, staff, and any emergency medications to the correct location. Not all spaces have bathrooms. This makes waiting out long storms or storms in the middle of the night very challenging. The proposed project has an attached storm shelter that will accommodate all of the campers in one spot. This space doubles as multi-purpose rooms that will be utilized for indoor programming, especially valuable on rainy days.
Additionally, the new facility would have options for handwashing before meals and filling up water bottles to stay hydrated.
Improve Accessibility
This project will be designed to meet American Camp Association Standards in addition to all current building codes. The dining hall will feature six single stall unisex bathrooms and showers.
Operational and Environmental Sustainability
Smart choices in design, layout, materials used and equipment chosen will lower energy usage. This is important for keeping our carbon footprint down and lowering ongoing operating costs. Environmentally conscious features will be used as educational opportunities for campers. If funding is available, the project will include geothermal heating and cooling and enough solar power to cover the electricity needed to run the geothermal system.
Have More Fun!
The dining hall is the heart of our camp. It is a place where kids come together many times a day. The new space will have improved acoustics to help as kids are talking with their cabinmates and making new friends. It will also accommodate all of the singing and cheering! The enlarged seating space and multipurpose rooms will provide comfortable breakout spaces for rainy day activities, opening up new opportunities for meaningful programming during wet weeks. The beverage station will be able to serve a lot more hot chocolate to kids on cool mornings. In addition to fire safety, our egress will be designed for campers exiting quickly if throwing someone in the lake!
Our goal is to design the space to match the feel of camp and for the building to feel like it's always been here.
SITE PLAN
The new building will be set alongside the entrance to our parking lot. This orientation will open up the space where the current dining hall is, expanding our main athletic field as well as providing a large gathering space between the field, Main Lodge and Dining Hall. Additionally, this will allow for deliveries to access the service side of the building without driving near campers.
FLOOR PLAN
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Collect public feedback on design
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Raise Funds for Project
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Finalize design and prepare construction documents
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Finalize fundraising
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Start construction at end of summer season
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New building is ready for use by Session A!
2024
2025
2026
PROJECT TIMELINE