Little Knickerbocker Lake—the smaller of the two Knickerbocker Lakes, which served as the inspiration for Knickerbocker Group’s name when it was founded in 1978—plays host to Camp Knickerbocker, a 65-acre summer day camp that is an invaluable asset for the Boothbay Region YMCA and community alike. The camp seeks to forge children’s friendships, encourage potential, celebrate achievements, and explore new adventures, with the lakefront providing impactful programs for children to learn to swim, canoe, kayak, and participate in adventure programs. The waterfront pavilion is an environmentally harmonious, partially subterranean structure that consists of four handicap-accessible bathrooms, four changing rooms, sinks, drinking fountains, benches, and cubbies. The contemporary approach to the design incorporates playful angular partitioning, low flow plumbing fixtures, and minimalist finishes. Materials such as concrete, powder-coated steel, and low-maintenance trim ensure a simple, clean, and easily maintained structure, while natural materials such as meranti (a hardwood known for its resilience in exterior applications) were selected in an effort to harmonize the manmade structure with the surrounding environment. The project is the first phase of a master plan that addresses site improvements related to storm water management and erosion control, and is part of a collaboration among Knickerbocker Group, the Boothbay Region YMCA, the Boothbay Region Water District, the town of Boothbay, and the Knox–Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District. The location, a hill facing the waterfront that had been partially cleared of trees, was ideal for erosion control, which was aided by simple but hardy landscaping for managing water flow. In addition, an extensive green roof of a sedum carpet needs little maintenance and no permanent irrigation system, and also provides changing colors with the seasons, from white flowers in the late spring to vibrant green in the summer to red tones in the fall.
