Description |
People with disabilities in our society are taking significant strides in being recognized for their abilities instead of their limitations. There has been a dramatic paradigm shift over the last 20 years that has allowed those with disabilities to gain access to all aspects of our built environment and social venues due to the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, with cities and towns being more accessible there has been less progress in leisure and recreational experiences. There are many programs including government and non-profit agencies that provide social and civic interaction focused on urban activities and interacting with the public, rather than nature based recreation. "Just as persons without disabilities have the right to engage in preferred leisuretime activities during their free time, persons with disabilities must be guaranteed the same right." (Schleien 6) The focus of leisure and recreation is the interaction with nature and having experiences that are outside of the typical urban environment. These experiences impact an individual very deeply regardless of their social status or abilities. By having direct experiences with nature people with disabilities strengthen themselves physically, mentally and spiritually and improve their quality of life. Through experiences in nature people with disabilities find a source of healing, rehabilitation and excitement for life. Recreational opportunities for people with disabilities are available in Utah and are facilitated by many organizations. The Kostopulos Dream Foundation, or Camp Kostopulos, is a facility located up Emigration Canyon in Salt Lake City that has specialized week long summer camps and year round programs for people with disabilities. Camp Kostopulos has been in operation since 1967 and serves people of all ages and all disabilities. The programs have long outgrown the capacity of their increasingly outdated facilities. The solution to keeping these unique programs available to the disabled population is a new lodge for Camp Kostopulos. This allows the current disabled population to be served at the existing site which has convenient access to the city and is located in a wilderness area appropriate for this purpose. The current facility includes administrative, socializing and dining areas. The new facility would house the existing program, expand them and add educational classrooms, a large indoor gymnasium/ performing space, housing and other programmatic needs. The inspiration for this design begins with nature. Dan Kostopulos, whom the organization is named after, proclaimed that he wanted to build the camp so disabled children could, "see the sun shine and the stars twinkle." (Carlstrom 198) "Just like kids without disabilities, these kids loved getting out with friends, touching and seeing the flowers, trees, animals, and bugs… They loved Camping!" (Carlstrom 198) The essence of the design process will capture this vision and excitement for nature and desire to experience life to the fullest. The exploration of large and small interactions with nature through direct contact, views and other methods will bring focus to the design of the new Lodge. The architectural use of transparency to blur the lines from the natural and built environment will be employed throughout the project. This will further support the conceptual goals of Camp Kostopulos as they try to remove barriers and help people with disabilities feel that they are capable of success in life and able to capitalize on their abilities. This enables their disabilities to become transparent to themselves and others as they achieve new successes. The concept of sustainable design will also be another focus and be a guiding principle throughout the design process. This is meant to be a further connection to nature and give examples through the building of how to effectively use our natural resources to our advantage. The design process would include evaluation of the existing conditions and where improvements need to be made. This would include choosing a location on the site, investigating programmatic needs, and studying conceptually how the architecture of this facility would speak to and about the population it is serving and also how nature impacts their lives. A survey of other similar facilities would also be incorporated to see where their success or failures were and learn from them. An in depth look at adapting recreation for people with disabilities will also be explored as well as ways to architecturally express the critical circulation patterns that will develop inside and outside the building. The overall location would remain the same because of the vital activities currently located on the property which include a ropes course, swimming, hiking and many others. The new facility would enhance their capacity to provide opportunities for the disabled to get out of the city and experience nature in ways that are typically not available to them. The location in the wilderness, and access to a population center are the top reasons for using the existing site. The natural setting with panoramic views, varied topography and natural water features all contribute to the success of this site. By maintaining this location it will allow participants to continue to experience success, build self esteem and provide a greater understanding that they are not the only ones with challenges similar to theirs. A New lodge facility for Camp Kostopulos fills a great need for the disabled population in Salt Lake City. It would continue to serve the mission of building self esteem and a personal awareness of an individuals abilities. This facility would enhance their understanding of the world through interactions with nature and others with disabilities and allow them to learn that challenges can be conquered and overcome regardless of their circumstances. |