Camphill Village Master Plan - Copake, NY

Camphill Village USA was started in Copake, NY in 1961 at the urging of a group of concerned people that included parents of young adults with developmental disabilities.  In 2008 Camphill Village realized that they could no longer “piecemeal” new additions to their existing communal buildings and recognized that professional guidance was required to create a comprehensive master plan. 

Sloan Architects was charged in developing such a plan.  The 600 acre village property is graced with rural beauty and inherent tranquility.  However, the village center core of 50 acres lacked the cohesive defining elements for the various use zones.  Through a year long process, working in collaboration with the committee, co-worker’s and villagers, Sloan Architects was able to conceptualize a path forward for the next 20 years. By reinforcing existing focal points of the site and redefining building uses we were able to strengthen the visual and physical connections of program spaces, social nodes, and residential clusters. These simple yet critical gestures allowed Camphill Village to more effectively and efficiently sustain its mission.  Implementation of various design concepts is now underway.