Assignment 2: Crawford Notch: Madhura Kharche

The Crawford Path is one of the most well-known hiking paths in North America. The AMC Highland Center lodge provides accommodations for hikers and other visitors and is located in close proximity to the Saco Lake and Mt.Washington. 

A young hiker looking at the AMC Highland Lodge over Saco Lake

The Crawford notch is a continuous valley between the White mountains near New Hampshire. The Saco river originates at the Saco Lake and flows through this notch.

Crawford notch and Saco river

This image of the Crawford notch reminds me of my hike on the Franz Joseph Glacier in New Zealand. The trail overlooked a similar "notch" like valley between the Southern Alps. 

A river joining the Tasmanian Sea: View from Franz Joseph - Fox Glacier, NZ

My fellow hikers

Besides individual skill, hiking also requires team building and group effort. Trail names help hikers get to know one another on an informal level. These are names usually adopted by or given to hikers. Some examples of trail names include “The Wild Turkey,” “Bamaman,” “Way Seeker,” “Mountain Dew” and “Bird Man.”

Saco Lake and Elephant Head 

These observations could potentially inform my design proposal for the bathhouse project in a way that acknowledges the habits and cultures of these visitors. For example, the mudroom could have lockers with a board where people could write their trail names on. The slope of the site around the lake and the path could be replicated into the design, which then becomes an extension of the site, rather than merely a building sitting on a beautiful location.

Polynesian spa in Rotorua, NZ

Canoeing in Saco Lake

People canoeing in the lake could probably have access to the bath house. Distant views of the mountains and lake could dictate the positioning of windows and public spaces.

 

A Google image of a spa I visited after my hike

View from the spa

Carolina Tamayo| Crowford Notch Culture

The culture of the Highland Center and Crowford notch is simple: it is all about nature. Whether you are sitting on the lawn in the lodge or hiking for hours around the White Mountains, you immerse yourself into an environment that is all about acknowledging nature’s beauty and appreciating its simple pleasures.

By researching their culture I have come to a conclusion that might seem a little silly, but nonetheless more appropriate: the bathhouse should not call attention to itself, rather to the views that lie around them.  It should not be an extravagant piece of architecture but calm and careful one that redirects your attention to nature, which is most important.  Nature, by itself, can be luxurious.