The Forge at Wind River

The Forge at Wind River was a project for the Wind River Trust board members which aimed to revitalize the rich history of the site with a comprehensive Masterplan. Nestled in the lower Cascade Mountain range, this site is in Carson, Washington, and was home to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp Hemlock, the US Forest Service’s Hemlock Ranger Station and the Wind River Arboretum. My project was just one facet of the larger Masterplan designed in collaboration with my Interdisciplinary Design and Research Studio group comprised of both Landscape Architecture and Architecture students (Haley Carpenter, Morgan Sisk, Sarah Swift and Davian Sullivan). The Forge would capitalize on the client’s requests of boosting revenue for the land trust and provide additional programming for the recent increase in visitors, while keeping the quiet and quaint character of the surrounding communities. To achieve this, I wanted to create maker spaces for aspiring carpentry, blacksmithing and pottery hobbyists to learn and fellowship with other passionate artisans. Selecting these programs was intentional, by keeping the same skill-based learning methods that Camp Hemlock provided service members following the Great Depression. This project was challenging but rewarding in regards to Adaptive Re-Use Design strategies to keep as many existing structures as possible, while superimposing a new function for this unique Historic site.