Where were camps like Camp Pelican™ when we were kids? You almost wish you could sign up as an adult. Pelican Hill’s popular day camp offers games, activities, computers and goodies galore, but from a design standpoint, it’s as gorgeous as the rest of the Resort and includes stunning ocean views.
Set off to the side of the Coliseum Pool, and accessible adjacent to the curving southern arm of the pool’s cabanas, Camp Pelican feels sheltered, secure and serene. Peace of mind for parents; unbridled playtime for kids.
“Camp Pelican was designed to integrate—and segregate—a dedicated kid and family area into the Coliseum Pool,” says architect Brad Neal, AIA, for The Irvine Company®. “The architectural and landscape design features were all conceived as part of the Palladian design vocabulary of not only the pool, but the whole Resort.”
For example, the kids’ oval pool is a nod to the main circular pool. It features glass mosaic tiles like the Coliseum Pool, and the same terra cotta that surrounds the main pool surrounds its little sister. The outdoor play area trellis emulates the trellis design on the Pelican Grill terrace. Mature olive and Cyprus trees echo the Italian landscaping found throughout the Resort. Umbrellas and lounge chairs allow parents to laze about comfortably while watching their little ones.
“The concept was to reduce noise and enhance privacy for adult guests” Brad Neal
A pop jet fountain, which anyone with kids will attest, attracts children like a magnet and offers a playful amenity. Two separate sand play areas and a lawn were planned to serve families out of view of the central Coliseum Pool facilities, yet be easily accessible.
Tuscan columns, pilasters and Italian lime plaster walls on the exterior of the playroom and integrate Camp Pelican with the Coliseum’s harmonious character.
The Resort’s classical architecture continues inside with large alder wood windows and doors that open out onto the covered terrace, letting in sunlight. It’s obvious the interior was designed with kids in mind, and scaled to their size and developing minds: even in the bathroom a world map covers every inch of the walls.
There’s an indoor-outdoor feel to Camp Pelican, which was also a calculated design element.
“Maximum daylight was considered critical, which resulted in the adjacent covered exterior activity area dedicated to the camp,” Neal adds.
Star lights provide a sky symbol and are a glimmering counterpoint to the classical interior design. Bright colors, mainly blues, contrast with the softer neutral tones and formal character of the Resort’s classical interiors.
“The sky blue ceiling, a feature which is often found in Renaissance villas, adds color and the obvious symbolic reference to the heavens,” says Neal.”
For more information, please call 877.624.6035.
