The River Electric: Guerneville’s Stylish New Swim Club and Glamping Resort

Commercial Architecture | ArchitecturalStory.com

Reinterpreting Resort Architecture on the Russian River

Nestled among ancient redwoods and expansive meadows along the Russian River in Guerneville, California,
The River Electric is redefining the boundaries of leisure architecture. Opened in 2025 by Shelter Co.
in collaboration with San Francisco-based architecture practice Boundary Works and interior designer Jessie Galloway,
this 12-acre swim club and glamping resort establishes a new paradigm for flood-resilient, eco-conscious resort
development. Seamlessly integrating residential amenities with nostalgic mid-century charm, the project brings historical
typologies of summer camps and open-air swim clubs into a contemporary, environmentally adaptive framework.

Historic Typologies Reimagined

The River Electric draws heavily on vacation resort typologies unique to North America, blending them with strategies from
Australian and European contexts. The programming and site layout harken back to classic 20th-century summer camps,
North American swim clubs, and flexible European bathing complexes—spaces that thrived on community, simplicity, and
seasonal immersion.

Unlike traditional hotels, which often impose static structures on sensitive sites, River Electric adopts an ethos of
light-footprint design and programmatic flexibility. This move not only embraces mid-century ideals of accessible outdoor
leisure but also aligns seamlessly with modern sustainability and emergency management standards.

Site-Specific Design: Floodplain Resilience and Environmental Sensitivity

Positioned on a historic floodplain that submerges seasonally, River Electric needed to address significant hydrological
challenges. Rather than resist the terrain, the design team strategically embraced it through removable structures,
elevated systems, and stormwater-sensitive landscaping.

Key Strategies Include:

• Modular Canvas Tents: Accommodations consist of 40 tents, each 144 sq ft with full beds, electricity, and climate control. The removable nature of these structures aligns with FEMA floodplain guidelines and allows for seasonal deployment and storage.
• Bioretention Landscaping: Native meadow plantings and shallow swales are used to filter, slow, and absorb runoff. These interventions mitigate erosion risks and prepare the site for climate variability.
• User-Responsive Utilities: All site utilities are engineered for rapid setup and teardown, operational only between April and October, reducing infrastructure vulnerability during flood season.
• Waterproof Architecture: Clubhouse elements and pools incorporate waterproof doors and finish materials suitable for partial submersion or high humidity, including sealed concrete and stainless steel hardware.

Material Expression and Construction Detailing

Rather than conventional cabins or hotel suites, River Electric’s accommodations utilize weatherproof canvas
tents that straddle the line between glamping and modular housing. Inspired by both residential and military-grade
canvas architecture, the tents are designed for year-round temp fluctuation, featuring:

• Durable, UV- and mildew-resistant canvas skins
• Screened openings for natural ventilation
• Solid flooring and electrical hookups integrated into platform decks
• Modular framing assemblies allowing rapid portability

This approach supports a growing trend in both commercial and speculative residential design where
lightweight, demountable structures offer adaptability, particularly in vulnerable ecological zones or tight
building envelopes.

Swim Club as Social Fabric: A Hybrid of Public and Private

At the heart of River Electric lies a 60-foot circular main pool—a communal axis that echoes the spirit of urban swim clubs
in Brooklyn, Melbourne, and Zurich. A secondary, rectangular adults-only pool offers segmented experience, catering to privacy
or event-driven flexibility.

Flanking the main pool is a contemporary clubhouse that effortlessly connects indoor and outdoor functions:

• Restaurant and Pool Bar: Drawing from mid-century “snack bar” archetypes, the eatery serves local, seasonal fare in a casual lounge format with vintage styling and tactile materials.
• Multipurpose Pavilions: Furnishings and awnings are explicitly designed for removability and rapid reconfiguration into event or gathering spaces.
• Outdoor Lawns & Meadows: Expansive grassy surfaces act as social condensers, much like the shared quadrangles of traditional campgrounds or the open courts of Mediterranean resorts.

Nostalgia Meets New Luxury: Interior Detailing

Interior designer Jessie Galloway curated a warm, tactile palette that plays on 1950s–1970s aesthetics without veering
into kitsch. The clubhouse and shared areas include:

• Muted earth tones paired with durable natural materials like jute, canvas, and terrazzo
• Retro-inspired furnishings with low profiles and playful curves
• Custom wall treatments and tile grids reflecting vintage bathhouses in Europe and Australia

This strategy demonstrates how high-style interiors can coexist with outdoor programming—an increasingly useful strategy
in both luxury residential and resort architecture, particularly in temperate climates.

Global Comparisons: Historical Foundations and Modern Application

Technical Specifications Summary

• Accommodations: 40 tents (144 sq ft), king/double beds, climate control, powered, Wi-Fi equipped
• Pools: One round (60-ft dia.), one rectangular, commercial waterproofing and flexible deck furniture
• Utilities: Seasonal system (April–October), designed for full teardown during flood season
• Landscape: Bioretention basins, native meadows, low-compaction paths and surfaces

Implementation Insights for Architects and Homeowners

1. Design for the Site, Not Against It

River Electric’s architecture embraces the periodic flooding of the Russian River rather than battling it. Architects
should consider site-responsive methods like elevated or movable components, especially in floodplains or wildfire-prone
terrains.

2. Merge the Residential with the Communal

Whether designing a multi-unit resort or accessory dwelling units (ADUs), integrating the comforts of home—
comfortable beds, Wi-Fi, aesthetic interiors—into shared or limited-use spaces raises user experience and long-term flexibility.

3. Invest in Passive and Green Infrastructure

The project’s use of bioretention plantings and native ecosystems reduces runoff, increases biodiversity, and cuts maintenance
costs. Homeowners can use similar techniques such as bioswales, rain gardens, or permeable pavers to make landscapes both
resilient and beautiful.

4. Reinvigorate Nostalgic Typologies

New builds can draw on the spatial logic of older typologies—like summer camps, bathhouses, or communal pavilions—while
employing modern construction methods, energy strategies, and interior comforts to meet today’s functional and aesthetic needs.

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Future Leisure Spaces

The River Electric is a powerful case study in adaptive, place-based commercial architecture that appeals equally to
aesthetic sensibilities and ecological pragmatism. Through a thoughtful blend of modular construction, nostalgic detailing,
and environmental fidelity, it sets a new standard for low-impact, high-design leisure infrastructure.

As both homeowners and architects explore ever more hybrid uses for landscapes—be they flood-prone lots, backyard ADUs,
or seasonal retreats—the lessons from projects like River Electric become increasingly valuable. Simultaneously resilient
and refined, the resort reframes what it means to relax, gather, and inhabit the land with reverence and innovation.

—Written by ArchitecturalStory.com Editorial Team