Camp 1604 / San Antonio, Tx
- Design
- Thoughtbarn
- Client
- KPG Hospitality
- Structural
- Datum Engineers
- MEP
- ATS Engineers
- Landscape
- Studio Balcones
- Photography
- Andrea Calo
Camp 1604 pays homage to the vintage campgrounds of mid-century America that used exaggerated forms to coax would-be campers off the freeway. A melange of distinct and super-scaled geometric shapes registers the laid-back watering hole off the San Antonio Loop as a playful outlier within its big box surroundings.
The main entrance is marked by two triangular apertures reminiscent of overscaled A-frame cabins. Once inside, the wood-clad space opens up on two sides to the adjacent courtyard. A half dome quonset hut becomes an organizing device for gathering and shade around the building, while also providing a marker visible from the nearby freeway.
The courtyard is planted with a drought tolerant landscape of Mexican sycamores and live oaks and encased within a perimeter gabion wall. The rich material textures create an outdoor oasis within a sea of asphalt, for those seeking to enjoy a frosty libation and the company of friends.