YMCA International Camp, Nilshi, India
Encyclopedia
Website - www.ymcacamplakeside.org
YMCA Camp Lakeside is located at Village Nilshi, in the Western Ghats (mountains) between Mumbai
and Pune, India.
Camp Lakeside is a 40 acre campsite surrounded by the beautiful Andhra Lake. The site aims to provide camping & outdoor experiences that develop self reliance and resourcefulness in a fun, learning environment.
This wilderness retreat is used by Outdoor Development experts for environmental education and adventure sports, for corporate executive training, youth leadership building and conference programs, for Summer
and Diwali
camp programs, by social workers for informal education of local under-privileged children, and for spiritual retreats.
The complex was designed by Pune based Master Architect Prof.Christopher Charles Benninger
. His team included architects Deepak Guggari and Harsh Manrao. This organic complex was completed in 2003 and has won national awards, including the 2006 Indian Institute of Architects
(IIA) Award for the best Public Building of the year because of its sustainable environment and unique relationship to the landscape.
Most of the habitable areas are underground, tucked into the hillside, reducing the need for energy-driven air conditioning, while maintaining the original green ground coverage. Wind scopes provide natural ventilation and lighting deep within the habitable areas. Earth insulation reduces energy consumption and stabilizes cyclical temperature variations. The complex is one of India's best examples of energy efficient
and sustainable architecture
. It is also known for the use of a light weight tensile structure over the dining hall providing soft, energy free light. A recent addition is an underground conference hall that accommodates up to 80 people.
Activities include: Rock climbing, Archery, Swimming, Nature Treks, Development Games, Treasure Hunts, Rappelling, Kayaking, Ropes Course, Camp Fires etc.
YMCA Camp Lakeside is located at Village Nilshi, in the Western Ghats (mountains) between Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
and Pune, India.
Camp Lakeside is a 40 acre campsite surrounded by the beautiful Andhra Lake. The site aims to provide camping & outdoor experiences that develop self reliance and resourcefulness in a fun, learning environment.
This wilderness retreat is used by Outdoor Development experts for environmental education and adventure sports, for corporate executive training, youth leadership building and conference programs, for Summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
and Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
camp programs, by social workers for informal education of local under-privileged children, and for spiritual retreats.
The complex was designed by Pune based Master Architect Prof.Christopher Charles Benninger
Christopher Charles Benninger
Christopher Charles Benninger is an American-Indian architect and planner born in the United States in 1942. He studied urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and architecture at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, where he later taught .Benninger studied under Josep Lluis...
. His team included architects Deepak Guggari and Harsh Manrao. This organic complex was completed in 2003 and has won national awards, including the 2006 Indian Institute of Architects
Indian Institute of Architects
The Indian Institute of Architects is the national body of Architects in India with more than 20,000 members. It was established in the year 1917 with its headquarters in Mumbai...
(IIA) Award for the best Public Building of the year because of its sustainable environment and unique relationship to the landscape.
Most of the habitable areas are underground, tucked into the hillside, reducing the need for energy-driven air conditioning, while maintaining the original green ground coverage. Wind scopes provide natural ventilation and lighting deep within the habitable areas. Earth insulation reduces energy consumption and stabilizes cyclical temperature variations. The complex is one of India's best examples of energy efficient
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
and sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture is a general term that describes environmentally conscious design techniques in the field of architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by the larger discussion of sustainability and the pressing economic and political issues of our world...
. It is also known for the use of a light weight tensile structure over the dining hall providing soft, energy free light. A recent addition is an underground conference hall that accommodates up to 80 people.
Activities include: Rock climbing, Archery, Swimming, Nature Treks, Development Games, Treasure Hunts, Rappelling, Kayaking, Ropes Course, Camp Fires etc.