Just in time for a retreat from the pandemic in Northern California, the Island Camp at Delta Coves is now open.
It’s a private clubhouse and activities center for property owners at the waterfront community where every homesite comes with a dock.
Designed by architect Tim Slattery of hospitality specialists Hart Howerton, the 15,000-square-foot camp is tailored to the rough-and-tumble lifestyle of the boating community. And it’s meant to be accessed primarily by water.
“It’s a series of pavilions that have a boater/industrial vibe, and they’re freshened on the inside, he says. “The heartbeat of the whole community is Island Camp, at the center of a square.”
Though it seems tailor-made for these times, it was actually conceived long before Covid 19 began making its rounds. “It’s perfect for social distancing,” he says. “There are no food or beverages – you bring your own – and the picnic pavilion is set for sitting six feet apart.”
There’s no staff either, but there is a deluxe, lodge-like interior at the clubhouse, with a media wall. Then there are the outdoor kitchen, the barbecue areas, the event lawn, and the bar made from a Duffy boat.
That’s right: A boat. “It gives the place a Jimmy Buffett kind of ethos – we filled it with sand and turned it into a bar with eight swinging bar stools, and surrounded it by fire pits,” he says. “You can roll your cooler up – because you bring your own – so it’s a ready-made gathering spot for property owners.”
Delta Coves is halfway between Sacramento and San Francisco – which, at an hour to an hour-and-a-half, makes a relatively easy drive for a family getaway. “Destinations are becoming like family hubs, with extended families wanting to go and join them,” he says. “The drive-to is a key aspect – people don’t have to hop on a plane.”
Since March, when Covid 19 hit, 20 properties have sold there, with a 200 percent increase in sales since last year.
Maybe the Island Camp has something to do with that.
But a more likely candidate is this wide-open, boat-oriented retreat where five California rivers merge together at once.
Read the article on Architects & Artisans.