Baseline Evaluation

"Camp Design: Master Planning Basics" Series"

After considering the camp’s programming, the next step in developing a master plan is to create a baseline evaluation.  The goal of this step is to gain an accurate and comprehensive picture of the current physical conditions of the camp including the state of the buildings, utility locations, and natural dynamics of the site.  This information will enable well-informed decision making throughout the rest of the planning process.  You’ll first need to gather data in a number of different categories and then analyze and evaluate that data to determine what it means for your camp.  The better the data, the better the plan.

In gathering information, the first step is to create a base map of the site using a survey method.  An accurate base map provides a wealth of precise information, including locations of roads, utilities, built structures, and natural features.  Traditional land surveys are useful for small projects or property line surveys, but for larger sites such as camps, an aerial topographic survey is more appropriate and cost-effective.

Looking beneath the surface of the base map to the natural and built environment is the next step.  In-person field work is absolutely essential to thoroughly explore these aspects.  While much can be learned from off-site investigation, there is no substitute for walking the grounds, discovering that waterfall, or experiencing that stunning view.

The land itself is perhaps the most defining characteristic of any camp – one that is complex and dynamic. Understanding these dynamics is the basis of good master planning.  Natural features to research include: major landforms, soil types, surface and groundwater flows, water bodies, vegetation, wildlife, and climate. 

The man-made structures built within this natural context require investigation too.  A facility survey of existing structures that accurately documents each structure’s condition, footprint, space requirements, potential for development, and other details is critical to the master plan.  A facility inventory form (sample shown right) as well as photo documentation can be enormously helpful here.  In addition to a facility survey, examining the site’s circulation patterns might create an opportunity to alleviate traffic pattern confusion, and mapping the site’s utility infrastructure can highlight opportunities for improvements – in maintenance schedules, alternative energy options, and building placement.

A final element of data collection involves the larger community context in which the camp exists.  There may be archaeological, cultural, or historic sites to work with, or environmental restrictions to consider (such as wetlands, endangered species, and hazardous waste).  Legal factors, including leases, easements, right-of-ways, and the definitive property boundary, will also inform a sense of opportunities and constraints for the site.

After gathering the above information, producing documents to express the data will help portray what it all means for the master plan.  While much of the data collection can be accomplished by camp staff or volunteers, professional assistance becomes critical for developing these documents.

The essential document expression is in the form of a series of graphic overlays to the base map.  In the example above, Domokur Architects created these graphic overlays for a camp in central Illinois.  There are separate overlays for hydrology, topography, soils, zoning, and circulation, with an overall site analysis composition (left to right).  These overlays result in a map set that completely expresses the multiple aspects of the site.  In addition to this set of mapped data, more detailed information on each overlay category (i.e., the number of plumbing fixtures per cabin) can be supplemented with schedules, inventories, and matrices.

Mapping the data temporally into the future is the next dimension of baseline analysis – and it’s also the point at which you really begin to plan, in terms of actually proposing solutions for the future of your camp.  Armed with a plethora of information and a thorough understanding of the programmatic and physical dimensions of your camp, you can start to highlight spaces for potential development, buildings for renovation, and stunning views to highlight.  Our next entry in this series will delve into this planning stage more deeply.

Note: This series is based on Greg Copeland’s book “Camp Design: Master Planning Basics”, which is available for purchase here.  Greg leads Domokur Architects’ Planning and Landscape Architecture team with over 40 years of professional and planning experience.