He talks about his first thoughts on being approached for the project and how being a parent influenced his design choices.
What were your thoughts when you were first approached about designing for Great Wolf?
I was actually really skeptical initially because it was so far outside of my realm of professional experience. As a parent though I was really intrigued by the opportunity. It was an interesting conversation because I wanted to make sure that our goals were aligned and that I would have the flexibility to bring what I love to do to the resort in a way that I felt would be significantly different than what had been done in the past, but allow me some leeway to creatively apply everything I’ve learned over the last 27 years about high-end residential design to this experience for a family.
I started thinking about it and my family personally, we travel extensively. Our kids have passports; they’ve had them since they were born. We want to take them almost everywhere with us.
But looking at the classic American experience that kids will always remember, Great Wolf Lodge is really at the forefront of that. You can go to the beach, you can rent a house, you can go skiing, you can stay in a hotel and you have the sand and the snow, but the kids love these water activities. They all do and I loved them as a kid.
It started out as, “Why Great Wolf Lodge and Nate Berkus? Why does that make sense?” But then digging in with their team on the experience that they wanted to create, it just became more and more exciting as the whole project started to evolve.
You said you were skeptical. Was it because you don’t normally think high-end with a waterpark resort that can cater to children?
I think most people don’t, and that’s the point of this whole adventure. What we’re doing collectively now is hopefully shifting a parent’s reticence to spend their week or weekend here; to let them know that they’ve been considered and that these spaces are crafted for the entire family, not just around the kids. That was kind of the overriding goal the entire time and probably touched every design decision along the way.
How did being a parent influence your design?
I remember the first time I took a trip with my husband and our daughter, and I said to someone in my office who had kids, “What do you do? Where do you go when they nap? Where do you put the crib?” I didn’t want to rent a second room just because there is naptime in the afternoon.
I don’t think these spaces should be designed by a designer who is not a parent. That’s how important my experience of parenthood came into this experience. It made me reconsider everything from why I wouldn’t use a solid fabric on a chair where kids would be eating to why there are a plethora of rounded edges and soft corners all over the place. Why we would take the trouble to hand paint a tic tac toe board on the top of a side table. Why giving kids the opportunity to either craft or read or spread out their Legos or whatever.
We have one duffel bag filled with toys when we travel. So, where do those go? And where did the kids play with that? So, every surface became a little bit wider, a little bit longer. We took every opportunity for the kids to engage or figure out their own games.
The point of this is yes, there’s a waterpark, but it’s also to be in nature in the Poconos; to have that opportunity to smell pine needles and be outside. That’s one of the reasons why I actually was really excited to do the outdoor spaces as opposed to the indoor ones because this whole property is about the exterior experience.
Tags: Great Wolf Lodge, Nate Berkus
