In 2021, STIMSON began working with the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, on a comprehensive framework plan for their historic campus. The focus of the framework plan was to support the institution’s Strategic Plan and guide the evolution of the campus over the next fifty years. Landscape research began with an in-depth site analysis that studied lost ecologies and indigenous relationships to the land. The design guidelines developed from that initial study minimize disturbance, improve accessibility drastically, and create a design language that is distinctly organic and responsive to the site, yet respectful of the historic architectural layout. STIMSON gathered at Haystack in September of 2021 for a week-long retreat to reconnect with each other after two years of remote work, and to focus on craft and the rural environment. This gave the design team a fundamental understanding of the school’s landscape, programming, and the essence of the Haystack experience.

Collaborators
Simons Architects
John Bear Mitchell
Turk Architecture
KMA
Mid Main Forestry
Thorton Tomasetti