The Dining Sala Project
3.04.2010
3L Foundation is very proud to be fulfilling our commitment to build a new dining hall (called a ‘sala’ in Thai architectural terms) for the children of the CPDC village.
In the fall of 2008, the original CPDC campus was a temporary facility located on grounds in legal dispute. In reality, the children and their caretakers, were essentially living on land that wasn’t theirs. The buildings were safe, but rudimentary and limited in flexibility. The shoe-string budget the CPDC had available did not permit for any typical amenities for the campus. There was no running water. The sleeping accommodations were wooden shacks with thin pads laid upon a bare plywood floor. Another open air structure in the center of the campus provided a place to study and eat. This sala had dirt floors, very little protection from the rain and wind and no electric lighting. An outdoor kitchen in a nearby shed allowed for meals to be prepared in cramped, dark conditions with a dirt floor and no refrigeration.
In the Spring of 2009, the CPDC, with the help of the Human Help Network Thailand, was able to acquire property for a permanent home. The entire campus was moved to the new property and work began on creating the village. While the hope was that more appropriate and sound structures would be funded and built soon, they now at least had a safe home.
Over the last year, with the help and dedication of many, this empty land is becoming a village. Three dormitory buildings have been built with two more near completion. While there is still much to be done, one of the most important structures for these children is a new dining sala. It is where they will gather to eat every meal, as well as do homework, play games, etc.
The current dining facilities remain . Dirt floors, one small refrigerator, two small gas burners, no running water, and little protection from the elements and insects. Almost any amount of rain is sure to flood the sala creating even more of a challenge to prepare three meals a day for fifty children ( and counting). The CPDC’s goal is to accommodate upwards of 150 children.
After only a short time at the village, our first calling to help these children came in the form of intangibles. Love, compassion, laughter, and nurturing. After spending more time out at the village and experiencing first hand the monsoons, the heat, the bugs, and all the challenges of food preparation in tight and dirty quarters, our second calling was clear and more tangible; to design and build a dining sala.
Pam Proto founded, owns and operates a series of successful pizzerias in Colorado and Idaho. The spaces she creates for her customers and her employees are more than just places to eat. They are places to experience the joys and pleasures of dining with friends and family. Her restaurant interiors are architectural statements of invitation and gathering. Pam, Ashley, and Matt all firmly believe in the importance of a dining sala that also will be a safe place of coming together; within an expression of traditional Thai beauty. Also by insuring that that which surrounds them, houses them, protects them, and nurtures them is inviting and inspiring, we are helping to create a bright future for these deserving children.
As such, a structure has been designed for the children at the CPDC. The end result upon completion will be a space of belonging and comfort. Round tables allow for more intimate interaction between friends and those new to the village in need of friendship. A soaring roof in the inner space of the building draws the eyes and the mind upward with space, light and warm colors. Low overhanging eaves provide protection from the heat of the sun and the relentless rains. An open air terrace around the perimeter of the sala gives a space that is sheltered and safe while open and inviting. A new kitchen allows for meal preparation in a safe, clean, bright environment promoting interaction, community and the simple joys of cooking with and for the kids. All of this in a building that emphasizes traditional Thai design, natural materials, and built to protect the children and staff from the rains and mud the monsoons will continue to bring.
We are just weeks away from the 3L Foundation breaking ground for this new dining sala. Funding for the commencement of the project is coming in, and future funding will be required to keep the project going and to reach its completion. 3L Foundation is committed to this project with all conviction and priority. If you would like to contribute to this effort, your contributions will bring tangible results to these wonderful kids, as well as furnish them with something beautiful that they may call their own.
[donateplus]
[donorwall]
This Donation is made on Pam Proto’s behalf in celebration of her Birthday!
Happy Birthday Pam! We Love you! Dave, Kris, Luke and Brett
Keep up the good work!
[…] More to come about the progress of the dining sala, which is underway as I write this. We hope you enjoy the movie. If you would like to make a donation to this project, please click here. […]
[…] have a variety of new projects underway, but are currently accepting donations for their Dining Sala Project and the Flip-Flop Project. For just $12.95, you can give a child a pair of flip-flops, that 3L will […]