Retreat Vacation House Style in Sustainable

Design Concept
Located on mature landscaping and a manmade pond, a new house built, consist of four buildings, main
house, study, pool house and garage. Take the advantage of privacy of the site, the buildings built
surrounds the pond; maximize the relation between living and landscape area, create cozy and relaxing
spaces, both outdoor and indoor. Facing inward on the pond, garden and pool, this modern residence
has open structure with large glass and single sloping roof structure. Open living area also built, for
relaxing space and as a connections to other building. The building designed in sustainable design
concept. The house is heated with a radiant system in the stone floors, and despite the hot climate it is
not air conditioned, but passively cooled with a combination of overhangs, shades, and operable
windows. The house also features many green building materials, including high fly-ash concrete,
formaldehyde-free casework and denim insulation. The outdoor shower also created, direct connect
with the bedroom. Designed by Turnbull Griffin Haesloop (TGH) Architects.
 Based on a simple design concept of a hut shape transformation, this retreat house designed
with the main intention of providing a comfortable space for vacation and relax purposes. The
designated site is located at the south side of the waterfall site plan.

These are some of the first few design sketches, concepts and inspirations of the retreat house.

Facilities | Retreat House | FAQs

Q. Why does CCC have a Retreat House?

A. The name conveys the mission -- to provide a location for retreats from our ordinary lives in
order to help us to reflect, to enhance our spirituality, to promote education in our values, and to
build community. (10/15/11)

Q. What can you do there?

A. The house itself, while rustic, provides space for meetings, reading, reflection, and
meditation; for cooking and dining; and for sleeping. A separate chapel affords space for
meditation and worship, and a large field gives us lots of space for outdoor activities. The
surroundings are rural, isolated, and bucolic. Many users have enjoyed exploring the woods and
climbing neighboring hills. The Cacapon River, which runs down one side of the property,
affords swimming, tubing and fishing for summer camps and other users. (10/15/11)

Q. Why are we considering renovation?

A. Right now, we cannot make full use of the facility. In 2006, the fire marshal declared the
second floor of the building unsafe for sleeping and limited use of the kitchen. In addition, the
facility does not meet current standards for accessibility. (10?15/11)

Q. How many people can be at the Retreat House at once? How does the capacity
correspond to the size of groups that might want to use the facility?

A. At present, we can sleep 8 people in the main building, where sleeping is limited to the first
floor (in space formerly used for meetings and living areas). A rustic bunk house provides
additional space for 8, and a screened sleeping pavilion used by summer camps can hold about as
many more; neither have bathrooms. For busy weekends, sometimes attendees use tents. More
people can be accommodated on a day-use basis, so a group of 30 or more might use the house
for a one-day meeting.
Before the code violations became apparent in 2006, the main building had space to sleep 24 in
three bedrooms on the second floor. At that time, the first floor was used for meetings and for
dining. (10/15/11)

Q. How much is the Retreat House used now?

A. At present, the Retreat House is used for CCC summer camp (now three one-week sessions)
and retreats for a number of groups, such as the youth group, men’s group, and young adults, as
well as work retreats. (10/15/11)

Q. Was it used more extensively in the past, before the fire code problems became evident?

A. Yes. Many more groups used the facility for fall or spring retreats. In years of peak usage,
finding an available weekend was sometimes difficult. (10/15/11)

Q. How limited is the use of the facility now?

The fire code problems mean that we cannot now use the three bedrooms on the second floor for
sleeping, and the first floor meeting rooms have been pressed into service as bedrooms. The
number that can sleep in the main building is thus limited, and lack of a bathroom makes the
bunk house less attractive to some. The second floor is usable for meeting space, but as these
rooms have no heat source, spring and fall use present a challenge. In addition, we can only use
one of the range tops in the kitchen, which makes cooking for large groups difficult. (10/15/11)

Q. Is the Retreat House just for our camping ministry?

A. No. The summer camps for children and youth have continued to be prominent users, by
working creatively within the current limitations on the building. However, the facility was
never conceived as just a place for camps, and other groups continue to use the facility and have
found it a valuable spot for retreats as part of their activities. (10/15/11)

Q. How far is the Retreat House from Silver Spring?

A. The trip from CCC takes from 1.5 to 2 hours, using an appropriate choice of routes and not
counting any intermediate stops. The distance is just over 100 miles. (10/15/11)

Q. How is the Retreat House now funded? Is it paid for from the CCC budget?

A. The routine operating and maintenance costs of the Retreat House are met by nightly fees
paid by those that stay there. At present the fees are $15/night for adult members and $20/night
for non-members, with slightly lower charges for kids. The CCC budget pays for property taxes
and utilities, an amount now typically budgeted at $3,000 per year. This amount is the financial
contribution by the church as a whole toward having a retreat house as part of its overall
program. (10/15/11)

Q. Could we just continue to use the Retreat House as it is?

Q. How much is it going to cost to renovate the Retreat House?

A. Costs of renovation will depend on how extensive a renovation we undertake. We are now
exploring options. Guesstimates range from perhaps $150,000 up to about $500,000, but we will
not have a reliable sense of what is possible until the discernment process if farther along.
(10/15/11)

Q. What is the minimum needed to get the Retreat House “back on line?”

A. We don’t know yet. One of the options we are exploring is what is the minimum to that
would be required to meet the code. Experience with other projects suggests that addressing the
evident code problems will necessitate some other changes as well, because if we start a project
we may need to bring other aspects, such as the electrical system, into conformance with current
codes as well. (10/15/11)

Q. What would it take to make sure that the facility is accessible to all?

A. Besides the need for an accessible entrance to the first floor, the major concern relating to
access is that no sleeping area or bathroom is accessible to those in wheelchairs or with other
mobility limitations. Making the second floor accessible would be prohibitive. To ensure
accessibility, we need to consider adding bed and bath space on the first floor. (10/15/11)

Q. Could we rent out the Retreat House, if we renovate it, to help defray the costs?

A. Yes, we believe outside groups would be attracted to rent the facility. A renovation would be
likely to increase use by both inside and outside groups, and if the facility is improved we are
likely to attract more interest from outside groups. Note, however, that the year only provides a
limited number of useable weekends, and to increase outside income we might have to curtail
our own use. At rates comparable to those today, increased use by outside groups would
increase total income only if this use was in addition to use that would otherwise be made by
CCC members. To the extent that outside use replaced that of CCC groups, total income would
remain about the same unless we charged outside groups significantly more. (10/15/11)

Q. Won’t the money we got from the sale of the painting discovered at the Retreat House
go a long way to pay for the renovation?

A. The sale of the painting netted CCC $82,775 several years ago. Those funds were added to a
“Retreat House Restoration Fund,” and some of the fund has been spent on planning. In October
2011, the balance in this fund was $79,619. This amount represents a start, but more funding will
be needed to plan and complete a renovation. (10/15/11)

Q. If we do a renovation, would we have to increase our fees (for CCC members and
others) to the extent that potential users might prefer to go elsewhere?
A. At present our low fees appear attractive, and if raise them by too much, potential users
might well go elsewhere. If we are able to secure the funds needed for renovation by fundraising
from the congregation (and former members with an interest in the Retreat House), we should be
able to avoid any substantial increase in operating fees. (10/15/11)

Q. Would CCC have to go further into debt to fund a renovation of the Retreat House?

A. Our discussions so far have been confined to approaches that would involve raising the
amounts needed for renovation in advance, meaning that we would not add debt -- interest and
principal of which would have to be paid from the CCC budget or from fees paid by Retreat
House users. Considering that CCC has about $1.6 million in debt resulting from renovation of
our main building, adding more debt -- and hence requiring the debt be serviced from either user
fees or the CCC budget -- might be a difficult choice. (10/15/11)

Q. Have we considered partnering with other churches or another organization to help

A. Some have suggested this idea as a way of spreading the costs of renovation. However, if
another organization were to take an equity stake in the property, our ability to use it for our own
programs and to control the calendar would be compromised. In addition, finding another,
compatible organization to share use of the house and that has funds available for this purpose
might not be easy. (10/15/11)

Q. Would it make sense to sell off part of the land to help fund the renovation?

A. This possibility might be worth considering. However, we would also need to consider the
loss of control over the part we sell and whether we could ensure that a split of the property
would leave us with space adequate for our programs and that would not interfere with the
unspoiled views. Also, the entire property now receives an advantageous property tax rate
(unlike our sanctuary, it is not tax exempt) because it is treated as farm land -- a neighboring
farmer uses the main part of the property for pasture. Subdividing the property might mean we
would lose that advantage and hence see an increase in taxes. (10/15/11)

Q. How much could we sell the property for?

A. We don’t know for sure. As one indicator, the current tax assessment on the property totals
$107,220 (land - $33,780; improvements - $73,440). It is hard to judge how closely that amount
approximates what the property would bring if sold. (10/15/11)

Q. What might we do with the money if we sold the Retreat House?

A. We could establish some sort of special fund to support activities similar to those for which
we use the Retreat House now, or we could dedicate them to other purposes, such as paying
down our mortgage or supporting aspects of our operating budget. (10/15/11)
Q. Have we considered using other facilities in the area of CCC for our retreats? How
would that approach affect our costs and programming?

A. Other facilities that are suitable for retreats are available within a comparable drive from
Silver Spring. We have not investigated them extensively, but it appears that the usage fees are
higher than we charge for the Retreat House. We would have to fit our use with the availability
of these facilities. Whether we could find a suitable site for a CCC summer camp program is
less apparent. (10/15/11)

Q. How does the need for funds for the Retreat House fit with the other needs of CCC for
funds? Can we afford to spend a lot on a renovation while we have a big mortgage on the
church building?

A. Clearly, our other financial commitments are concerning. We think that some donations
might be forthcoming specifically for the Retreat House if they were needed. We don’t yet know
how much a renovation would cost. How we might afford it, should we decide to move forward,
is for us to discern together in the course of the congregational discernment process now
ongoing. (10/15/11)

Q. What about security for the building?

A. While the building is unoccupied much of the year, its obscure location seems to afford some
protection and few problems have arisen over the years that CCC has owned the building. Mr.
Davis, the neighboring farmer who uses our pasture, mows around the house and keeps an eye on
the property for us. If we were to do a substantial and obvious renovation, security problems
would be more concerning, and we would have to consider how to mitigate them. (10/15/11)

Q. How does the Retreat House fit with CCC’s mission?

A. This is a good question -- one that we will be considering in the course of the congregational
discernment process. All members and friends are invited to join in discussions of this and
related questions starting in late October. (10/15/11)
Campgrounds and commercial campsites

Campers span a broad range of age, ability, and ruggedness, and campsites are designed in many
ways as well. Many campgrounds have sites with facilities such as fire rings, barbecue grills,
utilities, shared bathrooms and laundry, as well as access to nearby recreational facilities, but not
all campsites have similar levels of development. Campsites can range from a patch of dirt, to a
level, paved pad with sewer and electricity. (For more information on facilities, see the campsite
and RV park articles.)

Today’s campers have a range of comforts available to them, whether their shelter is a tent or a
recreational vehicle. Those choosing to camp closer to their car ("car camping") with a tent may
have access to potable hot water, tent interior lighting and fans, and other technological changes
to camping gear. For those camping in recreational vehicles (RVs), options may include air
conditioning, bathrooms, kitchens, showers, and home theater systems. In the United States,
Canada and Europe, some campgrounds offer hookups where recreational vehicles are supplied
with electricity, water, and sewer services.

Other vehicles used for camping include motorcycles, touring bicycles, boats, canoes, pack
animals, and even bush planes; although backpacking on foot is a popular alternative.

Tent camping sites often cost less than campsites with full amenities, and most allow direct
access by car. Some "walk-in" sites lie a short walk away from the nearest road, but do not
require full backpacking equipment. Those who seek a rugged experience in the outdoors prefer
to camp with only tents, or with no shelter at all ("under the stars").

Although many people see in camping a chance to get out of the daily routine and improve their
survival skills, others would rather benefit from the many amenities that campsites are nowadays
equipped with. If a few decades ago camping meant a great deal of responsibility and knowledge
about wild nature, today any individual who wants to spend a weekend away in the woods may
also expect a high level of comfort.

The amenities that can be found in a campsite vary greatly, as do the prices campers must pay to
use them. Usually, the most visited places tend to be more comfortable, more sought after, and
more expensive. The cheapest option when it comes to camping still remains backpacking or tent
camping, although it can lack some of the comforts of other options.

Many companies manufacturing camping accessories produce different types of equipment or

Camping describes a range of activities. Survivalist campers set off with little more than their
boots, whereas recreational vehicle travelers arrive equipped with their own electricity, heat, and
patio furniture. Camping is often enjoyed in conjunction with activities, such as: canoeing,
climbing, fishing, hill walking, mountain biking, motorcycling, swimming, and whitewater
kayaking. Camping may also be combined with hiking, either as backpacking or as a series of
day hikes from a central location.

Some people vacation in permanent camps with cabins and other facilities (such as hunting
camps or children's summer camps), but a stay at such a camp is usually not considered camping.
The term camping (or camping out) may also be applied to those who live outdoors, out of
necessity (as in the case of the homeless), or for people waiting overnight in queues. It does not,
however, apply to cultures whose technology does not include sophisticated dwellings. Camping
may be referred to colloquially as roughing it, and usually lasts for more than a day.