Situated on Lake Ossipee, Camp Calumet was founded in the 1920’s as a summer camp for boys. Now a year-round facility, operated by tile New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Camp serves over 10,000 people annually as a place for retreats, conferences, and family events in addition to it’s summer camp tradition.

Richard Alvord Architects led the master planning project that reconceptualized the camp as a series of nodes around which various groups organize around. Completed new buildings, additions, and renovations are shown here while the Camp Calumet Master Plan page focuses on the overall vision and covers buildings not yet built.

Conference Center

The Conference Center is a fully accessible, two-story complex which incorporates an existing building into its design. New facilities include a Meeting Room, Program Staff Offices, Executive Chef Office, Camp Store, exterior meeting deck and courtyard, screen porch, 135 person Dining Room/ Multipurpose Room, and a variety of informal gathering spaces. The building is design to meet the needs of a wide range of users – from small children to older adults with the Camps’ Elder Hostel program throughout the year.

The challenge of designing a large building that feels familiar and intimate was met by creating the Conference Center as a series of smaller-scale “spaces” that add to the existing building without overwhelming it. Evocative of the tradition of New England building in which a farmhouse evolves into a country inn through a series of ad-hoc additions, the Conference Center maintains a comfortable character and personal charm despite its large size.

Along the existing building’s south side two new volumes accommodate program offices and the meeting room and the Multi-Purpose Room, with outdoor gathering space and garden located in between.This outside space also serves as the main entry point with on grade access for all visitors both young and old, able bodied or restricted. Traditional New England building forms and details are used throughout to create a Center that feels homey and familiar yet unique; its multiplicity of gathering-spaces—small and large, programmed and informal—create and nurture a sense of community and comfort.

Staff House

The 100-year-old wood framed two-story building is perhaps the oldest building on the Calumet property. Staff House has always been used as a residence for staff housing during the summer and in the off season, spring and fall it is used for guest groups sleeping approximately 30 persons in the six bedrooms.

Located on the southeast end of the resident camp. The triangular tip of land is bordered to the south by the sandy beach of Lake Ossipee, to the northeast by the seasonal tributary brook and to the west by the rear “courtyard” of the Wood Shop and Luther Hall. The land is composed of well-drained sandy glacial moraine with mature pine trees bordering all four sides. On the west side there is a copse of pine trees directly adjacent to the building.

From its location, the staff house commands the most private group living opportunity at Calumet. The view to the south includes Lake Ossipee and the rolling hills of the Ossipee Mountains to the southwest. Facing directly south, the front of the building is bathed in sunshine on clear days.

The building served well for its first 100 years, but was in need of major repair. Its proxemity to protected water bodys and local zoning allowed only changes within the existing foot print. After a Value Engineering execise, it was determined that saving the original structure to renovate would be cost prohibitive so plans were drawn and executed for the replacement of the building on the exact footprint.

The replacement building allows for improved room configurations and the inclusion of current energy efficient systems. The building far exceeds energy consumption standards and is designed to meet LEEDS requirements. The first floor is meets all ADA requirements including bunk rooms, toilet, and bathing facilities.

Comfort Station

The new Comfort Station includes toilet and bath facilities for men and women, flanking a central entry foyer. Bath areas are separated from toilet rooms to minimize moisture in the toilet rooms; additionally, toilet rooms have conditioned air that reduces humidity and condensation.

Bath areas are ventilated by a free-air fan that removes steam. In toilet rooms, wall-hung, tankless toilet fixtures are easy to clean, while both toilet and bath areas are completely finished in ceramic tile allowing the rooms to be easily washed by a hose. Phenolic polymer toilet partitions are specified for being graffiti-resistant, waterproof and strong. Connected to the toilet and bath building by a covered area is a smaller structure containing dish cleaning facilities, easily accessed by family campers from several directions. Water heater, electrical equipment, HVAC, and storage area are also located within this volume.

The building is cedar clapboard, insulated slab on grade, wood framed with thermal windows for ventilation. A fuel-efficient heating system is provided, and the facility has its own sewage system.

Boys Junior End Bath House

The new Bath House serves two buildings of three cabins each, the first ever built at the camp. In summer,when the buildings house six cabin groups of younger boys, theBath House provides showers and toilet facilities in two sections,each located in closer proximity to one of the cabin buildings. In winter when the cabins are in use by guest groups,the bath house divides into separate men’s and women’s toilet/shower areas.

To facilitate easy cleaning, wall-hung, tankless toilet fixtures are used, and all areas are finished in ceramic tile allowing the rooms to be washed with a hose. Phenolic polymer toilet partitions are specified for being graffiti-resistant, waterproof, and strong. The facility willhave its own sewage system.