Rice Pods
David Salmela
Wild Rice Retreat ‘Rice Pods’
The Wild Rice Retreat Center was originally the Wild Rice Restaurant in Bayfield WI. This was a successful establishment for 18 years, however due to the location being economically boosted primarily in the summer, it was hard to maintain high level service year round. The idea of the retreat center focused on having this beautiful space able to be used year round which was better for the Bayfield economy. Food is still a factor but more of an educational retreat that serves many mediums with no limit to what type.
The idea behind the lodging was to create an environment that was as unique as the programs offered at the retreat. The idea started with “rice pods” and will have a variety of (20) different styles with room for expansion. Such styles will include a ‘quad’- a two story structure and a handicap accessible ‘quad’ . There will also be a multi-use building, referred to as a “blackout facility” which will be used for yoga, films, visual presentations, etc. A public sauna and laundry services will also be a part of this building. The deadline for completion is by summer of 2020. David Salmela, the architect behind the project chose Richlite for this project because he finds the material is “the identity of the structures” – a contemporary statement of what a cabin might be. Salmela has said that Richlite may be used in more applications other than siding, but that is undetermined for the time being.
