The quality of change : growth of a whitewater resort in North Carolina

Abstract

This thesis is a study of change and constancy -- planning for incremental growth in a manner that will give emphasis to the whole and not the increments. The Nantahala Outdoor Center is a center for white water activities in western North Carolina. A portion of each seasons revenues is channeled into improved and new (3000-5000 square feet) facilities. Determining what to build and where is done on a season-by-season basis relative to available finances and current need. As might be expected, this years projections do not always match those of last; time frequently reveals new factors for consideration and demands a flexible strategy for mapping the future. Expansion problems have been accommodated up to now by taking the path of least resistance, siting each new structure independently of other structures, one building for each need, eliminating considerations of connection between old and new. But at some point, this system has its breaking point and the result becomes similar to what happens in the typical suburb -- discrete bits of building consume the landscape in a uniform fashion, eradicating significant differences between one place and the next. The solution is not in building more at one time, but in careful consideration of how one assembles the pieces. This thesis is the study of that assemblage, looking to maintain the ease and flexibility of building each piece independently without compromising the meaning and quality of the whole. Additional considerations and influences include building with self-help (Raft Guide Construction Company), employees of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, people with building experience but who are not builders by trade. A further concern is building in naturally pristine areas -- harmonizing the man-made with the natural.