HKS is a modern interdisciplinary architectural and design firm in which innovation plays a central role in their projects’ design and development. Although headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the HKS office is home to architects, designers, interior and urban designers, artists, scientists, and anthropologists from around the globe. Their projects are specially tailored to creating outstanding experiences and fostering kinship. From cities and communities, HKS architects expand their practices into health living, education, hospitality, science, culture, sports and entertainment. Their creative designs enable individuals to connect and strengthen their relationship with the built environment.
A hip-looking campsite | Autocamp Joshua Tree
More than a recreational location, the AutoCamp Joshua Tree National Park is a lodging that is open to experience and connection to the outdoors and nature. The modern getaway invites the visitor through its design to spend one or more days on a no man’s land area, surrounded by the simple shapes of nature and the built camp. Inspired by the structure of a Quonset hut, the AutoCamp house prioritises organic elements, integrated within an elegant design, and puts full emphasis on the interior daylight. All architectural forms were intentionally designed to create shelter from capricious weather conditions, embracing an ecological and modern aesthetic approach. They not only have particular functions, but also contribute visually to an emblematic campsite composition that matches the semi cylindrical camp vans made out of steel – undoubtedly a science-fiction fantasy.
Planning and Architectural Design
A two-hour drive-trip from Los Angeles, the AutoCamp is located near the Joshua Tree National Park in a Sci-Fi movie-like setting, which puts an eclectic but elegant architectural design under the spotlight. Driven by the climate and culture of Joshua Tree, the HKS architects integrated passive design features within the construction’s architecture to better consolidate the relationship between nature, the built environment, and people. The planning and design of the space were well-thought under the complex sub-tropical climate of the Joshua Tree area. Considering the characteristic weather conditions of Joshua Tree, which include wind and the blazing warmth of the sun, the HKS designers prioritised the view opening towards the desert landscape. In this way, visitors can luxuriate in indoor experiences while contemplating the outdoor, spectacular scenery of the National Park.
The neatly packed and stylized architectural forms of the clubhouse add to an identity assemblage of the construction, which through its simplicity, instil a sense of privacy and intimacy. Even though the campsite inspires the guests to spend intimate moments, a sense of community can, likewise, emerge in the shared spaces of the AutoCamp. Interactive activities, such as movie night, star gazing, yoga and sound healing sessions, or fireside chitchats, are encouraged in different corners of the site (AutoCamp, 2022). For such interactions to happen, the HKS planners designed fire pits, a plunge pool, and outdoor sitting areas, thus enhancing the camping experience. To recreate the classic camping atmosphere, the architects made use of native and organic materials that allow for typical rustication and textures.
Architectural Concept
The AutoCamp building project was developed in an environmentally-friendly way, approaching a low-impact strategy on the environmental resources and incorporating sustainable solutions. Xeriscaping was utilised to reduce the need for irrigation, and low water use and on-site water treatment were applied. More than that, the HKS team implemented native plantings, focused more on solar power, and applied a dark sky-friendly technique through compliant outdoor lighting to minimise the environmental pollution caused by artificial light and keep the star panorama clear. Through its energy- and water-saving measures both campsite’s planning and design are sustainably checked and conceptually strong. The materials used in its construction do not seem to disappoint either!
Construction Materials | Autocamp Joshua Tree
Blending minimalist, rustic, and modern styles in the desert scenery of Joshua Tree National Park, the HKS architects succeeded in bringing a mid-century modern elegance in the middle of barren land. Framed by a combination of woods, the structure of the contemporary clubhouse is open on both sides to exude freedom and supplement the experience. Inside, the concrete flooring and semi-circular ceiling create a cave-like setting. Outside, the architectural facade system consists of large louvres that were not coincidentally chosen – the design addresses winter winds and takes advantage of summer breezes with shading elements on all facades, says HKS principal Mark O’Dell.
The materials and technology used for building such a house were carefully selected to preserve the desert’s natural resources and create a peaceful oasis in the Californian desert. Not only impressive on the outside but surprising on the inside, the clubhouse displays a variety of handcrafted art objects and furniture that artistically adorn the space and offer a matching ambiance to the outside environment. A palette consisting of sandy colours and golden hues: shades of brown, beige, and white adds to a neutral and nature-inspired design. What’s an interior without its design narrative? From indigenous pottery-made sculptures to subtle minimalistic murals and leather tapestry, the wide range of artworks exhibited inside contribute to the storytelling of the place. Pairs of woven chairs, cotton cushions, and leather sofas recreate a warm and relaxing atmosphere, resonant with the desert surroundings. Be it outside or inside – expressivity is found in all materials, shapes, and forms incorporated within the clubhouse, providing it with an authenticity of its own. The harshly textured landscape puts the building under a different shade and contours its construction, thus together co-creating a poetics of the space.
Bibliography:
AutoCamp (2022). In the desert skies: Stargazing tips from AutoCamp Joshua Tree. [online]. Available at: https://autocamp.com/stargazing-guide/ [Accessed 14 October 2022].
AutoCamp (2022). AutoCamp Joshua Tree. [online]. Available at: https://autocamp.com/joshua-tree/ [Accessed 14 October 2022].
Image sources:
1_AutoCamp Joshua Tree Clubhouse; [Photograph]. (AutoCamp Gallery). Available at: https://autocamp.com/gallery/
2_AutoCamp Joshua Tree Clubhouse; [Photograph]. (AutoCamp Gallery). Available at: https://autocamp.com/gallery/
3_AutoCamp Joshua Tree Site; [Photograph]. (AutoCamp Gallery). Available at: https://autocamp.com/gallery/
4_AutoCamp Joshua Tree Clubhouse Interior; [Photograph]. (AutoCamp Gallery). Available at: https://autocamp.com/gallery/
