Building Safe, Comfortable Camping Spaces for Girl Scouts

Located near Frazier Park and the San Fernando Valley, Camp Lakota is situated on more than 60 acres of lush greenery, rolling hills, and wide-open fields, right in the heart of the beautiful Los Padres National Forest. The plan was to create a camp of the future for the Girl Scouts of Los Angeles; a place where girls and young women could feel empowered, have fun, and make memories to last a lifetime.

A collaborative project between the Girl Guides of Los Angeles, Durst Builders, Illig Construction, and Perkins+Will, this project encompassed many architectural components, including a new dining hall with a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, six villages with new restrooms and showers, and 24 cabins that were structurally insulated for superior comfort and dryness.

For the cabin’s design, Perkins+Will kept the traditional A-frame California cabin style but created more of a modern feel while still keeping it practical and cost effective. They wanted to ensure that the cabins looked and felt at home within the natural habitat and were easy to install.

The popularity of A-frame structures surged in the mid-1950s to the end of the 1970s due to the low cost of building, but also because they were adaptable and simple to construct. This gave architects more freedom to experiment with different designs.

To ensure the cabins were naturally ventilated and protected from outdoor elements such as rain and high winds, a variety of different DELTA® products were selected to assure the cabins’ dryness, comfort, and long-term performance. DELTA®-VENT SA was used on all of the cabin roofs and exterior walls. It works to prevent moisture from getting into the A-frames, while simultaneously allowing moisture that is already within the walls to escape—therefore eliminating the risk of mold and other problems caused by water pooling where it should not. DELTA®-VENT SA will also protect the cabins from wind and high elevation. For additional air tightness, DELTA®-FLEXX-BAND connecting and sealing tape and DELTA®-TILAXX sealant were used during the installation.

Another advantage to A-frame structures is that they are suitable for hot climates, as the majority of the living space tends to be on the lower, cooler level – which is necessary in the Los Padres National Forest. Frazier Park also experiences some seasonal variation including 28 inches on average of snow fall, so the structures are also very durable in heavy snow, as the steep-sloping roof prevents excessive loads from accumulating.

Standing strong and already exposed to a variety of weather elements, these cabins are staying completely dry and comfortable, thanks to DELTA®-VENT SA, DELTA®-FLEXX-BAND and DELTA®-TILAXX. We look forward to seeing many generations of Girl Scouts enjoy the newly refreshed Camp Lakota facilities and cabins!