Inside the Enchanted Hills Camp Shoot: Photographing an AIA Award Winning Project for the Blind

Emily Hagopian

Jul 21

4 min read

Updated: Jul 27

Campers walk a wide accessible path toward the Forest Commons building at Enchanted Hills Camp in Napa, a mass timber structure by Perkins and Will set among redwoods. Photograph by Emily Hagopian

Enchanted Hills Camp is a 311 acre retreat in Napa for blind and visually impaired campers, rebuilt after a 2017 wildfire destroyed much of the original site. The rebuild was led by Perkins and Will together with landscape architect RHAA, and went on to receive a Special Commendation in the 2026 AIASF Design Awards. The project was also featured by Fast Company. Photographing a site built specifically around touch, sound, and accessibility called for an approach that went well beyond a standard architectural shoot.

Two campers, one using a white cane, follow the accessible loop path outside the Forest Commons at Enchanted Hills Camp, rebuilt after the 2017 Napa wildfire.Photograph by Emily Hagopian

A Project Designed Around a Different Sense

Most architectural photography leans heavily on how a space looks. Enchanted Hills Camp presented a different challenge, since much of the design was built around how a space sounds and feels underfoot rather than how it appears. The design team worked closely with blind and low vision stakeholders throughout the process, incorporating cane detectable pathways, contrasting textures, and acoustic markers into the built environment. The camp includes new cabins, two bath houses, and a large Forest Commons building with a commercial kitchen and gathering spaces, much of it built using salvaged and locally milled redwood from the original property.

Photographing a project like this meant leaning into the human element above all else. The tactile and acoustic elements of the design, the cane detectable pathways, the contrasting textures, the acoustic cues, were integrated so seamlessly into the architecture that they essentially dissolved into it rather than standing out as visible features. That made the people in the space the real carriers of the story. Showing campers and staff moving through the camp, using it with confidence and independence, was what actually conveyed how well the design worked, far more than any single detail shot could have.

Campers walk beneath the covered walkway connecting the new cabins at Enchanted Hills Camp, built with salvaged and locally milled redwood from the original property. Photograph by Emily Hagopian

The Architectural Photography Site Visit

As with any assignment, the camera came out from the first walk through the site. The goal of the visit was to explore the range of angles, light, and compositions the camp offered across its buildings and grounds, then narrow that down to the images that would carry the strongest visual narrative for the firms involved.

Populating the spaces mattered more here than on most projects. Enchanted Hills Camp exists to serve blind and visually impaired campers, staff, and counselors, many of whom are blind or low vision themselves. Showing people actually using the space, moving through it, and interacting with its tactile and acoustic features was the clearest way to demonstrate who the design was built for and how well it succeeds at serving them. A beautifully composed empty cabin says very little about a project like this. A photograph of a camper using a cane detectable path to find their way independently says everything.

Campers walk a cane detectable path through towering redwoods toward the outdoor amphitheater at Enchanted Hills Camp, a retreat for blind and visually impaired campers in Napa. Photograph by Emily Hagopian

Campers share meals inside the Forest Commons dining hall at Enchanted Hills Camp, where exposed timber, steel trusses, and glass walls open the room to the surrounding redwoods. Photograph by Emily Hagopian — 1

The Full Project Team

A project of this scope involved a large team, and every firm on it contributed to the finished result:

Architect, Interiors, and Planning: Perkins and Will
Client: LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
General Contractor: Wright Contracting
Project and Construction Manager: Pound Management
Landscape Architect: RHAA
Civil Engineer: Madrone Engineering
Structural Engineer: Strandberg Engineering
Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing: E350
Acoustics: Salter
Kitchen Design: Gary Jenanyan
Wayfinding and Placemaking: Clearstory
Building Facades: RDH

Campers gather at tables in the Forest Commons multipurpose room at Enchanted Hills Camp, its acoustics and layout designed with blind and low vision users in mind. Photograph by Emily Hagopian

Recognition

The project received a Special Commendation in the 2026 AIASF Design Awards, honoring its mission driven impact and the community it serves. It was also featured by Fast Company, which highlighted how the camp was designed by and for visually impaired people. As is typical, that recognition came after the photography was complete. The images already existed for the team's portfolios and marketing before either the award or the feature came together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was on the design team for Enchanted Hills Camp? Perkins and Will led architecture, interiors, and planning, with RHAA as landscape architect. The full team also included Wright Contracting as general contractor, Pound Management as project and construction manager, Madrone Engineering, Strandberg Engineering, E350, Salter, Clearstory, RDH, and kitchen designer Gary Jenanyan. The client was LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

What made this project different to photograph? The design centers on touch and sound as much as sight, since it serves blind and visually impaired campers. Capturing tactile pathways, contrasting textures, and acoustic features we intentionally composed our images to emphasize how one navigates the campus through a different lens than a typical exterior or interior shoot. The truly critical factor in this shoot however, was the utilization of real campers using the space as intended.

Why include people in these photographs? Enchanted Hills Camp was designed for a specific community, and showing that community using the space, especially blind and low vision campers and staff navigating it independently, tells the story of the design's purpose in a way an empty building cannot.

Did the project win any awards? Yes. Enchanted Hills Camp received a Special Commendation in the 2026 AIASF Design Awards and was featured by Fast Company.