Klamath Siskiyou Art Center Planning, Design, and Engineering

In 2010, the Klamath Siskiyou Art Center, a non-profit group, retained LACO to complete the planning, design, and structural engineering for a new ecologically designed multi-functional art center in Happy Camp, California, the “Heart of the Klamath.” By working closely with the Board of Directors for the art center group, we arrived at a building composition that will work seamlessly for the center’s activities, but reflects the Board’s vision. Main components of the building and site plan include:

  • Multi-purpose room for training, conferences, and performances
  • Culinary kitchen and classroom with commercial appliances and naturally cooled walk-in pantry
  • Café and outdoor garden and dining terrace
  • Courtyard and community vegetable garden
  • Studios for painting and for ceramics
  • Natural day-lighting through-out the building spaces
  • Structure layout for a phased plan approach
  • Composting and rainwater collection areas
  • Solar design for winter solar gain and natural summer cooling
  • Locally sourced, non-toxic, and low off-gassing building and finish materials
  • Garden cottages for visiting guests and a resident caretaker

The main structure of the buildings will be composed of small diameter, “round wood” timber frame construction, utilizing timbers thinned from second growth forests. The exterior walls will be composed of a non-toxic and all natural “Leichtembau” light-earth infill construction technique composed of wood chips and local clay. 

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