Metcalfe Architecture & Design was awarded the 2017 National Design Award from the Society of American Registered Architects for our project, Camp JRF Eco-Village.

Set on 120 acres of woods in the Poconos, Camp JRF (Jewish Reconstructionist Federation) Eco-Village is a summer camp that expands camp enrollment to 90, 11th grade co-ed campers.

Camp JRF is an environmentally focused summer camp designed in the context of Reconstructionist Theology; “Tikkun Olam-fixing of the world is in our hands.” It is built of earth-friendly materials such as: recycled plastic decking, milk crates, bottles and wooden doors; solar heated hot water, waterless urinals; PV panels and rain gardens.

Campers live a daily ritual of awakening in their yurts, traveling to the bathhouses through openings in stone walls, to the program building, and back to the yurts at night. Their day is punctuated with social interaction on generous decks at all structures, and protected by colorful fabric sun shades.

Alan Metcalfe and Rabbi Isaac Saposnik, Executive Director of Camp Havaya (formerly Camp JRF), attended the award ceremony at The New Museum in New York City on October 20th. All event photos are courtest of SARA and Rudy Calpo Photography.

Thank you to the Society of American Registered Architects for this great honor!