As part of the request for proposal or RFP process, The Taylor Family Foundation (TTFF) and East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) called in 20 “green” architects to discuss the Camp Arroyo project. They narrowed the search down to four, ultimately deciding on Siegel & Strain out of Berkeley, California.

It was fitting the date was April 1 when they met with Henry Siegel about the camp build-out. He must have thought she was fooling when Elaine asked if he had ever worked with straw. After all, this more than 20 years ago, when green was still a color and not a movement. Referencing the Three Little Pigs, Siegel soon discovered Elaine was serious. Camp celebrates one’s connection with being outdoors in nature. What better way to honor that relationship than by using the materials supplied by Mother Nature?

During construction, workers filled the 24-inch thick walls of the dining hall with bales of straw from the Central Valley. This provides the insulation necessary to keep the temperature steady year-round.

Thanks to a galvanized metal roof on the dining hall and cabins, TTFF collects rainwater for non-potable use throughout the camp. Old, ground-up newspapers became roof insulation and recycled glass bottles contributed to the countertops in the cabins.

Siegel decided on wheat straw particleboard and recycled newspapers for the cabin walls. Bathroom stall dividers once served as soda bottles and yogurt containers along with excavated dirt from the project which was repurposed to give the pool’s bath house an adobe-like feel.

Rest assured, no matter how much you huff and you puff, you can’t blow camp down!

Explore the sprawling grounds of Camp Arroyo through our virtual tour here!