Whidbey Family Camp
Location: Whidbey Island, WA
Design Goals: The owner of this 45-acre Whidbey Island property envisioned creating a family camp that would foster both family connection and retreat while maintaining a light footprint on the land. The design centers on a main cabin that serves as the heart of the camp, featuring a kitchen, great room, laundry, bathroom, two bedrooms, and an open loft area. This space is intended as the primary gathering spot for family and guests, providing a welcoming hub for socializing, meals, and shared experiences. Complementing the main cabin, two smaller cabins were designed with two bedrooms, bathroom, and small entry area each. These secondary cabins or “detached bedrooms” offer private retreat spaces for family and guests to rest and enjoy quiet time, while encouraging interaction in the main cabin or surrounding outdoor gathering areas. The cabins are thoughtfully arranged in a cluster on a cleared portion of the property, circling a central outdoor gathering space with a patio and firepit. This site planning strategy emphasizes community, accessibility, and social engagement while preserving the majority of the 45-acre property as a wooded sanctuary, maintaining the natural character of the site.
Style: Craftsman Cabin
Design Challenges + Site Constraints: The 45-acre property presented significant opportunities as well as complex design and environmental challenges. One of the primary constraints was preserving the forested character of the site while creating a functional family camp, requiring careful siting of the cabins and minimizing the area cleared for construction. Trees that were removed were sustainably repurposed and sold for lumber, reflecting a commitment to responsible stewardship. The presence of water on the property added another layer of complexity, requiring sensitive placement of structures to avoid impacting drainage patterns. Solar access was a critical consideration for the future installation of photovoltaic panels and daylighting for the cabins, influencing the orientation and placement of each building. Additionally, the design needed to foster social connection by arranging the main and secondary cabins around a central outdoor gathering space with a patio and firepit, while simultaneously keeping parking areas discreetly located at the forest edge to maintain the sense of immersion in nature. Balancing these ecological, functional, and social goals required thoughtful site planning and strategic coordination between natural features, family camp activities, and long-term sustainability objectives.
Team:
+ Architecture: H2D Architecture + Design
+ Interior Design: H2D Architecture + Design
+ Photography: Chad Coleman Photography