Catoctin Quaker Camp Bathhouse

Thurmont

Overview:

The bathhouse is a 2,000-sf green building with a partial basement, designed and constructed to be a maintenance-free structure.

The first floor is a poured concrete slab with split face block as the exterior walls. The roof system is an exposed timber framed structure with a metal roof and cement board siding on the gables. A clerestory window system allows fresh air to flow up and through the building. The plumbing system is designed to drain easily for cold weather close-up. Waste water is processed through a septic field and solid waste is handled by composting toilets.

Initial bids for the building came in over budget. A. R. Marani, Inc. was selected to bring the cost down. Although they needed to spend less money, the Camp did not want to sacrifice their goal of a green, maintenance-free building. ARM was able to accomplish this through the selection of alternate materials and equipment and revising the timber roof structure.

We worked with an Amish timber framing company to re-engineer the roof framing to eliminate the steel connection plates and replace them with mortise and tenon connections secured with wooden pins.

Work proceeded through the winter and spring and the camp opened on Memorial Day weekend in time for the first campers.

Project Details:
Architect Miche Booz Architect, Inc.
Size 2,000 sf
Cost $654,972