In 2018 Children’s National Hospital purchased 129 acres in Mattaponi, Maryland to be redeveloped as a woodland campus for Brainy Camps, a consortium of 14 residential camps for children with serious, chronic diseases. The site is about 18 miles southeast of Washington, DC near the Patuxent River. Students in this architecture studio worked with medical professionals and families served by Children’s National to develop site design schemes and designs for the pool facility, cabins, and welcome center.
The focus of architectural design was incorporating the use of low heat materials (sustainably harvested, non-toxic materials with low embodied energy). Students explored this topic through physical model making and workshops with experts in the field.
