Master Plan and Visioning Strategy

Camp Cho-Yeh approached Domokur & Associates in 2013 to provide Visioning and Master Planning services for their camp located an hour north of Houston, Texas. Since its inception in 1947, the Christian ministry camp has served thousands of campers in grades 1–11 by providing outdoor camp adventures. We ascertained answers to three of the Camp’s big questions: Why are we in business? What is the purpose of our Ministry? And how do we accomplish our purpose? These answers informed all project decisions, whether they were major organizational changes or simple changes to the daily life of a camper.  

The Domokur & Associates Team worked closely with the Board of Directors and key staff to determine what information was vital, whose input was needed, and what approach to gathering information was most appropriate. Focus groups, web surveys, and a SWOT analysis from camper parents, alumni, guest groups, and staff provided key foundational information from which we developed a comprehensive Master Plan.  

The Master Plan was shaped over several months with opportunities to talk with church members, camper parents, retreat groups, and staff. Together, we identified development objectives, and determined the overall layout of the camp worked well with the exception of the entrance and arrival experience. The main objectives for the Master Plan included creating an arrival sequence (including a dedicated Welcome Center with guest parking), adding both indoor and outdoor activity spaces, increasing camper capacities, improving circulation, and providing designated program areas for younger and older campers.

The Master Plan took advantage of the basic layout of the camp that had evolved over generations. It increased camper capacity, created designated spaces for specific age groups, and improved circulation. Since the Master Plan was completed, Camp Cho-Yeh has built the Welcome Center, additional camper housing, a tree house incorporating a high ropes course, a trading post, and an amphitheater. They have also made improvements to their aquatics center. We are especially proud of our ongoing relationship with Camp Cho-Yeh, in which we’ve provided additional services, including architectural concepts for their Administrative Office/ Trading Post, Dining Hall and Recreation Center for their future Junior and Senior High Camp, as well as Architectural Renderings for their group camp site, ‘Boxwoods'.