Architects: Johnston Architects
Area: 715 m² (7,700 ft²)
Year: 2014
Photography: Benjamin Benschneider
Construction: Nine Pine Developments
City: Ronald
Country: United States
Basecamp, designed by Johnston Architects in 2014, serves as a retreat for a family of seven. The project offers distinct zones that blur boundaries, allowing for reorientation and reconnection with nature. The design, featuring durable natural materials and an exposed structure, accommodates 18+ people, supporting an active lifestyles and balancing work and play for the family’s global consulting business.
The Basecamp project was inspired by the idea of pausing at a base camp before ascending a mountain. Conceived as a retreat to recharge between life’s milestones, it provides a setting for reorienting and reconnecting with nature between activities. The spatial organization includes distinct zones while blurring boundaries.
Designed for a family of seven, the retreat uses durable natural materials and exposed structures. It accommodates 18+ people, including friends, extended family, and colleagues. This allows the couple to balance work and play, hosting clients from around the world for their consulting firm.
Initially, the concept involved creating separate cabins for living, sleeping, and playing. However, site planning led to consolidating the cabins into three distinct yet connected zones. Circulation spaces reorient to the Cle Elum Lake context while transitioning between activities. The living block arranges spaces along a view axis, stepping down from the kitchen to the hearth, outdoor fire, and water beyond, creating a visual journey and a sense of prospect and refuge.
Indoor and outdoor boundaries blur through gabion walls and window walls. The distinction between work and play is also blurred. The kitchen island doubles as a dining table, and the dining room often serves as a conference room.
Basecamp celebrates the journey of a family with five energetic boys, providing a backdrop for pauses or milestones. It is a place to recharge before setting out for the summit and upon return.
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Project Location
Address: Ronald, Washington, United States
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
