20 DIGS.NET | 12.11.2020
PHOTOGRAPHS:
COURTESY
OF
©
MONTSE
ZAMORANO
S
ituated in the middle of a preserve
in the Catskills, Camp O by Maria
Milans Studio is a minimalist work
of architecture inspired by, and reflective of,
nature—if not the Spanish architect herself.
The dialogue between the site and
structure happens on three levels:
structurally, between the concrete shell
and wood structure with the landscape;
materially, with everything left to weather
naturally, like the proximate vegetation;
and spatially, with three large openings
at the east and west facades of the living
area that bring different quality of light
throughout the day to the house, while
also being open to views of the natural
world. The locations of these apertures
were selected to amplify the seasonal
changes outside that one sees from inside
the house. This was always the goal, offers
Milans, "not only from an experiential
standpoint, but also to achieve maximum
energy efficiency." In winter Camp O is
more exposed to the sun; in spring and
summer, the regrowth of foliage serves as
a double layer of nature that helps protect
the house.
Left completely exposed, the radically
edited interior expresses the architect's "do
more with less" ethos. "Even when I teach
at university, my students know me for
bringing the eraser when I am reviewing
their projects," she says. As well as her
own. mariamilans.com
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P R O F I L E | M A R I A M I L A N S
A few hours from her New York City practice, an architect's
refuge is a blueprint for the radical house-studio hybrid.
Camp in the Catskills
W R I T T E N B Y J E N N T H O R N T O N
(CLOCKWISE FROM
LEFT) THE STUDIO
HOVERS ABOVE
THE LIVING SPACES
OF CAMP O; THE
PROJECT AS SEEN
FROM THE NORTH;
THE STAIRCASE
OPENING LEADS
TO THE MASTER
BEDROOM; THE
BUILDING'S SHOU
SUGI BAN FACADE.
