Artist Rendering of the 2011 HGTV Dream Home, Stowe, Vermont

Adirondack Architecture refers to the architectural style generally associated with the Great Camps within the Adirondack Mountains area in New York. The builders of these camps used native building materials and sited their buildings within an irregular wooded landscape. These camps were built to provide a primitive, rustic appearance. Elements such as whole, split, or peeled logs, bark, roots, and burls, along with native granite fieldstone, were used to build interior and exterior components. Massive fireplaces and chimneys built of cut stone are also common within the Great Camp architecture. The use of native building materials was not only for promoting a natural appearance, but also to avoid the expense of transporting conventional building materials into a remote location.

The style drew upon Swiss chalet architecture, which had been introduced to America by Andrew Jackson Downing around 1850. The Adirondacks building were recognized for their rugged finish and outstanding craftsmanship especially by the wealthy natives. The Adirondacks style of architecture can be specialized into custom homes, rugged roofing, log cabins, boat houses, rustic furnishing, rustic kitchen, birch and cedar furniture, log and twig works.



This style of architecture is found most prominently in and around the area of Adirondack Park, the largest state park in the United States. With 6.1 million acres (25,000 km²), it is roughly the size of the entire state of Massachusetts. 42% of the land is public, with the remaining amount of land consisting of several villages and hamlets.

Sagamore Camp, Long Lake, New York

The twig work boathouse at Camp Topridge.

The boathouse at Knollwood Club on Lower Saranac Lake.

Camp Katia on Upper St. Regis Lake.

 Hotel Wawbeek, Upper Saranac Lake (1890)