Eco Kids Camp & School Camp Design Australia
Children's camp on a lake.
The project made a strong impression on the architectural jury and was nominated for the MEPAO award.
This project presents a concept for an eco kids camp, school camp and outdoor education village in Australia. The masterplan is designed as a nature-based learning environment where children, schools and families can connect with the landscape through accommodation, recreation, outdoor education and environmental experiences.
The project is located on an 8.5-hectare lakeside site surrounded by forest, natural terrain and quiet access roads. The site offers direct access to the water, mature trees, clean ecological conditions, varied topography and a strong sense of privacy. These qualities create the foundation for a sustainable children’s camp, eco retreat and outdoor education centre.
The design combines architecture, masterplanning, landscape design and interior planning into one integrated eco village concept. The proposed program includes single-storey accommodation lodges for younger children, two-storey accommodation buildings for older children, administration facilities, a recreational club with a library, creative workshops, a wellness bathhouse, a dining hall, sports courts, running and walking trails, landscaped outdoor areas, arrival zones and parking.
The school camp masterplan is based on a polygonal planning grid that responds to the natural axes of the site, the existing terrain and the main circulation routes. This structure connects all buildings, paths, outdoor learning areas and landscape elements into a cohesive village environment.
The central focus of the project is the lake, which becomes the main social, recreational and educational feature of the camp. Around the waterfront, the design creates walking areas, gathering spaces, a jetty, swimming facilities and outdoor activity zones. This lakefront setting supports outdoor education, nature-based learning, recreation and year-round use.
The architecture is designed with timber structures, natural materials and expressive multi-pitched “origami” roofs. The buildings use lightweight timber-frame construction, insulated envelopes and durable timber cladding, allowing the camp architecture to sit naturally within the forest landscape while creating a strong and memorable identity.
The project can operate as a children’s eco camp, school holiday camp, outdoor education centre, family eco retreat or nature-based hospitality destination. Outside the main camp season, the complex can function as an eco lodge or educational resort, making the development flexible and commercially sustainable throughout the year.
This eco camp design demonstrates how architecture, landscape and sustainable planning can create a contemporary children’s village for education, recreation and environmental connection in Australia.
