Thanks to the generosity of some alumni classes whose members want to support for current and future students the experiences at Moosilauke they valued as undergraduates, we’ve been been in the process of building and replacing worn-out bunkhouses at Moosialuke: the ’84 Crew Cabin, the ’74 Bunkhouse (dedicated last June), and the new ’65 Bunkhouse (dedicated a couple weeks ago). These projects have been built by alumni and students working together in some timber-framing workshops conducted in the fall, right after the conclusion of DOC Trips, and then completed through a series of volunteer work weekends over the fall and spring. We’ll be starting on the ’66 Bunkhouse this fall. If you’d like to be involved, please contact Rory Gawler about signing up. Also, the Class of ’66 is interested in identifying a couple of ‘16s who would be interested in acting as liaisons between the DOC and their class for engaging students in these kinds of projects. Please let me know if you’d be interested in helping with that. Here’s a link to recent Dartmouth Alumni News story about the ’65 bunkhouse project: http://alumni.dartmouth.edu/news.aspx?id=609 Don’t let too much time go by this summer without making it up to Moosilauke to hike the mountain, spend the night in one of the bunkhouses, have a great meal, and hang out in the Lodge.

Speaking of the Ravine Lodge, as many of you know, for the past couple of years we’ve been actively engaged in planning for the need to replace the Ravine Lodge, because of the condition of the building an space constraints. The process has involved lots of listening and consultation with students (DOC and others), alumni representatives on the Moosilauke and DOC advisory committees, faculty, and staff. It has also closely followed the required College processes for project management and approvals. After many years of advocacy and planning, it now appears that we are on the verge of attending in a wonderfully positive way to the long-deferred needs of the Lodge. The objective is to maintain the sense of rustic warmth, tradition, and hospitality that we value so much in the current Lodge while planning a building that is appropriate to the site, energy-efficient and sustainable, and will meet our program needs for the future. Here is a link to today’s Dartmouth Now story about the project, as well as to some architectural sketches of what it might look like:

The Moosilauke Advisory Committee (which includes alumni, College administrative and faculty representatives, the DOC president, the Lodge manager, and former Lodge managers) has been advocating for the importance of investing in the Ravine Lodge for well over a decade, because of space limitations for accommodating large groups (DOC Trips, for example) and existing programs, as well as because of the condition of the aging building.
Over the past few years, the strong alumni and student support for the timber framing workshops to build the Class of ’84 Crew Cabin and to replace aging bunkhouses, and the master-planning and site-planning done in connection with those projects, reconfirmed the needs for attending to the Lodge structure and the high level of interest.
In 2014, the College approved hiring architects to conduct a feasibility study that reviewed how the existing program could best be accommodated in either a renovated Lodge or a newly constructed Lodge.
The study, conducted by the Maclay firm, concluded that because of the condition of the building logs, systems, and foundation, and the modifications that would be required to meet current code requirements, it would not be cost-effective to attempt to renovate. A renovated building would not closely resemble the current structure, the program needs could not be accommodated on the current footprint, and a renovated building would present significant ongoing maintenance and heating challenges/costs.
Last year, the Moosilauke Advisory Committee and the College’s Ravine Lodge steering committee endorsed the recommendation for replacing the Lodge with a new structure appropriate to the site, the Lodge’s history and the program.
The Steering Committee considered carefully a range of feedback from Advisory Committee members and others as to whether a log or timber frame structure would be most appropriate
The Steering Committee concluded that a super-insulated heavy-timber structure, with lots of round-log elements (including elements from the current Lodge) would best meet programmatic and institutional needs, for reasons of energy-efficiency and sustainability, long-term durability, maintenance, and construction scheduling.
This year, the College approved proceeding with schematic design, also conducted by the Maclay firm.
The schematic design phase involves advancing the architectural design for interior and exterior spaces, specification of mechanical systems, evaluation of the water system and preparing updated cost estimates. We are moving now to the cost estimate portion of the schematic phase, based on the design that has been developed.
The schematic design and related materials will be reviewed by College officers before they decide on authorization to proceed with design development drawings, and potentially construction documents. This approval, if granted, will be contingent on fundraising for the resources required to complete the remaining design work.
If College authorization is granted, and funds are raised, the design will proceed and a construction management firm will be hired on a consulting basis to assist in refining the construction estimate and logistics planning.
A final construction cost estimate will be prepared and presented to College officials – along with final plans – for approval to proceed with construction. As with all previous approvals, construction authorization will be dependent on the ability to fundraise all of the capital required to complete the project.
In both the feasibility-study and schematic design processes, the architects and steering committee met with the Moosilauke Advisory Committee, the DOC Advisory Committee, the DOC leadership, Lodge crews, faculty, staff, and students. They also reviewed considerable written correspondence and suggestions. The design reflects lots of careful listening and close attention to the common desire to have a building that supports the program, that evokes the Lodge’s warm atmosphere and history, that can continue to be operated by a student staff, that is environmentally sustainable, that is appropriate to the site, and that will stand on its own as a special place Dartmouth will be proud of for many generations to come.