ABSTRACT
Waechter Architecture connected to the cultural and natural context of Bingen, Washington, to reuse a four-room schoolhouse and design new buildings to create the Society Hotel Bingen. The adaptive reuse of the original school house includes spaces for the reception area, dormitory rooms, and private rooms – all with shared baths – to allow for lodging at different price points suitable for nature adventure-seeking guests. Twenty new detached cabins are arranged to form a ring around a central spa and courtyard meadow utilizing simple bold forms that match the scale of the existing town's buildings. The voids between building volumes allow space and views of nature beyond to “slip” through, connecting guests to the rugged landscape beyond.
