Wing Warping - Design Inspiration for the Camp Hall Trailheads

“My observations of the flight of birds convinced me that birds use more positive and energetic methods of regaining equilibrium than that of shifting the center of gravity…they regain their lateral balance…by a torsion of the tips of the wings.” Wilbur Wright

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Wing warping was an early system for lateral /roll control of a fixed-wing aircraft. The technique, used and patented by the Wright Brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposite directions. Birds visibly use wing warping to achieve control. This was a significant influence on early aircraft designers. The Wright brothers were the first group to use warping wings as their first plane mimicked the bird’s flight patterns and wing forms.

Interesting stuff, but why are we researching wing patterns, you ask? If you have been following our journey designing the initial structure’s for Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall Village, you will recall that elements of nature have been the over-arching design inspiration and wing warping is our latest muse.

Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall is a next generation commerce park where “people, nature and productivity connect.” With state-of-the-art manufacturing in a setting of vast natural beauty, the design concept of “Nature and the Machine” permeates the built environment. Like the vehicles and machines produced in Camp Hall, the architecture is intended to embody precision, sleekness and innovation; the building forms are abstract interpretations of the patterns, colors and figures found in nature. The latest example is the design for various trailheads to be erected throughout the campus in which the concept of wing-warping was explored. In this case, the roof planes twist to create offset drainage. Stay tuned for progress photos of the trailheads in the coming years.

Diagram showing wing positions supporting warping configuration.

Wright Brothers’ kite diagram using the wing warping concept

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Concept Design for trailheads at Camp Hall [Rush Dixon Architects]

Avian Pavilion at Camp Hall Village

Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall is a next generation commerce park where “people, nature and productivity connect.” With state-of-the-art manufacturing in a setting of vast natural beauty, the design concept of “Nature and the Machine” permeates the built environment. Like the vehicles and machines produced in Camp Hall, the architecture is intended to embody precision, sleekness and innovation. With bird protection and awareness as a major focus for Camp Hall, the architecture likewise found its inspiration. The building forms are abstract interpretations of the patterns, colors, and figures found in native species. The “Avian Pavilion” hovers over the lake greeting visitors with outspread wings, encouraging visitors to take refuge from the sun, birdwatch, and learn more about Camp Hall’s mission.

This month we are finalizing the detailing and engineering discipline coordination to bring this vision to life. Special thanks to our talented collaborators:

Structural Engineering: ADC Engineering Consultants

Electrical Engineering: DWG Engineering

Civil / Landscape Architecture: Seamon Whiteside

General Contractor: Choate Construction

Exploded axonometric of the Camp Hall Village’s Avian Pavilion

Studies for RGBW lighting options

Conceptual site layout of the Avian Pavilion access centered on future Training Centers for Camp Hall Village

Camp Hall Village Park Pavilions

It’s coming up on two years since Rush Dixon Architects was selected as the architect and designer for Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall Village Center; since then we have helped imagine the masterplan layout, phasing approach and concept architecture for the future buildings of this “next generation commerce park.” The overarching design concept of “Nature + Machine” marries the manufacturing nature of Camp Hall’s partners (looking at your Volvo SC) with the surrounding natural preserves.

With state-of-the-art manufacturing in a setting of vast natural beauty, the design concept of “Nature and the Machine” permeates the built environment. Like the vehicles and machines produced in Camp Hall, the Architecture is intended to embody precision, sleekness, and innovation.

With bird protection and awareness as a major focus for Camp Hall, the Architecture likewise found its inspiration.  The building forms are abstract interpretations of the patterns, colors, and figures found in native species. The “Avian Pavilion” hovers over the lake greeting visitors with outspread wings,  encouraging visitors to take refuge from the sun, birdwatch, and learn more about Camp Hall’s mission. [Camp Hall website]

Click here for a video prepare by Seamon Whiteside capturing our building designs for the village center: https://youtu.be/utZ-tb50I-Q

Main Park Pavilion Rendering

The first structures out of the ground will be open-air pavilions located in the Camp Hall Village park. The programmatic function is to provide gathering areas, places for viewing passive play areas as well as recreational courts and fields. The architectural design language will be established in this first phase through sculptural forms articulated with geometric framework and clad in a manner that harkens to patterns found in nature. The park pavilions act as pieces of sculpture in the landscape. Origami was also an influence as demonstrated in the Main Park Pavilion ‘folded’ roof form. Collaborators ADC Engineering (structural engineering), DWG Engineering (electrical engineering), Seamon Whiteside (landscape architecture) and Choate Construction (general contractor) have proven once again to be great company to keep in bringing the first structures to life. Stay tuned for construction updates and future events.

Main Park Concept Sketch

Several shade structures will be placed throughout the park for passive play area and recreation activity viewing.

Early concept for the main park pavilion

Camp Hall Village | Nature + The Machine

Santee Cooper’s Camp Hall is a next generation commerce park where “people, nature and productivity connect.” At the heart of Camp Hall is the Village Center, a thriving collection of small businesses and conveniences designed to help balance work with the necessities of daily life - connecting the workforce to everyday errands, to nature and to each other. Currently the master-planned park commerce park includes:

• Wi-Fi connectivity

• Conveniences are planned to include food, a convenience store, healthcare, dry cleaning, gas, banking, a fitness center, a fire station and EMS as well as other employee services

• Planned amenities including an event lawn/park and a playfield

• Trails for exploration, exercise and connectivity

• Spaces to gather and celebrate

With state-of-the-art manufacturing (home of Volvo USA) in a setting of vast natural beauty, the design concept of “NATURE + THE MACHINE” permeates the built environment. Like the vehicles and machines produced in Camp Hall, the Architecture is intended to embody precision, sleekness and innovation. With bird protection and awareness as a major focus, the architecture likewise found its inspiration. The building forms are abstract interpretations of the patterns, colors, and figures found in native species.

The “Avian Pavilion” (shown below) hovers over the lake greeting visitors with outspread wings,  encouraging visitors to take refuge from the sun, birdwatch, and learn more about Camp Hall’s mission.

Concept design for the Camp Hall Avian Pavilion

Concept rendering

“Nature is a self-made machine, more perfectly automated than any automated machine. To create something in the image of nature is to create a machine, and it was by learning the inner working of nature that man became a builder of machines.” Eric Hoffer