Cape Associates expanded their charitable playhouse program this year by hosting a design contest in which the public was invited to conceptualize and design their idea of a fun schoolhouse playhouse design. Three finalist were chosen and then ZeroEnergy Design’s Modern Cape Schoolhouse received the most votes in the two-week public vote that was hosted on the Cape Associates website. The winning playhouse takes a modern and Cape-inspired twist on the traditional schoolhouse, featuring red chalkboard paint and a retractable bell to relate to iconic schoolhouses of the past.
The playhouse has been built by the team of professional carpenters and will be raffled off to the public to benefit Cape Cod Community College’s Educational Foundation. Mark Kinnane, Executive Vice President at Cape Associates who was in charge of the construction phase of the project notes, “ZeroEnergy’s design is different than any other playhouse we’ve constructed; our team had a great time building and working out the challenges of the unique design.” Mark adds, “The lucky raffle winner will be bringing home a really cool playhouse.”
A tradition since 2001, Cape Associates has built a playhouse each year to benefit partnering groups, raising more than $97,000 to date. The playhouse program has increased in popularity recently; in the past few years the build team has constructed two playhouses each year and last year that number increased to three. “Building a playhouse and raffling it off for charity was an idea borne by my father, Michael Cole,” says Lindsay Cole of Cape Associates. “It has been a fun way to give back to the community while utilizing the skills of our talented craftsman.”
ZeroEnergy Design (ZeroEnergy.com) is an architecture and energy consulting firm specializing in new construction and major renovations. “The competition was a great opportunity to contribute to the CCCC Education Foundation through fun and playful design,” said Stephanie Horowitz of ZeroEnergy Design. The design team, drew inspiration from the school house theme and the firm’s preoccupation with the iconic gabled form.
The other two finalists included John T. Wall’s Dr. Seuss Little Prairie Schoolhouse and Eric Zavo’s Green Schoolhouse; Wall and Zavo are both students attending Cape Cod Community College.
Cape Cod Community College’s Educational Foundation is spearheading raffle ticket sales through mid-October when they will draw the winning ticket at a fall event. Tickets are available at all Cape Associate’s offices, Eastham, Chatham and Yarmouthport, and through the foundation at www.ccccfoundation.org.
The other two playhouses that are part of this year’s program are:
Eastham Post Office Replica
To Benefit: Lower Cape Pop Warner
Playhouse sits at Willy’s Gym in Eastham where tickets are available.
Fine Arts Work Center Writer’s Studio
To Benefit: Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown
Tickets and more info available at: https://www.fawc.org
