Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center Featured in Clemson’s “Rural Witnesses” Exhibition

DP3 Architects is proud to announce that the Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center project is featured in the Rural Witnesses: Retracing and Reimagining Rural Architecture in the South exhibition, curated by Clemson University’s School of Architecture and hosted at the 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, SC. On display through June 15, 2025, the project is part of the “Front Porch Stories” category, exploring rural storytelling and connection through architecture.

Pleasant Ridge Camp and Retreat Center is a vibrant facility that combines accessibility, natural beauty, and community-driven design. Home to Camp Spearhead, a residential summer camp for persons with disabilities, Pleasant Ridge also includes a retreat center that hosts special events, team-building activities, and weddings throughout the year.  Nestled in the northernmost portion of the South Carolina foothills, at the base of the Appalachian Mountains, the camp offers a year-round retreat that celebrates the power of social and cultural connection.

Defined by their expansive overhangs, the Pleasant Ridge porches are the signature design element on every building within the camp. A single truss, used consistently across all buildings but oriented in various directions create different scales for each structure on the campus.

Pleasant Ridge Camp and Retreat Center embodies the tradition of gathering and storytelling that thrives on rural front porches. With its focus on accessibility, community, and connection, the camp offers a space where stories are shared freely, memories are made, and a sense of belonging is fostered. Through careful planning and design, DP3 Architects has created a facility that not only serves as a retreat for campers of all abilities but also stands as a testament to the power of architecture in bringing people together.

The Rural Witnesses exhibition recognizes projects that reflect the rural South’s legacy while offering visions for its future. Pleasant Ridge Camp & Retreat Center embodies that idea fully, acting as a contemporary rural witness with architecture that fosters belonging, memory-making, and shared stories.

The exhibition is free and open to the public at: 701 Center for Contemporary Art
701 Whaley Street, Second Floor
Columbia, SC 29201
Exhibition Dates: April 10 – June 15, 2025

For more information about the project, visit:
www.dp3architects.com/places/pleasant-ridge-camp-and-retreat-center

To learn more about the exhibition, visit:
www.partnersofplace.com/projects/rural-witnesses-exhibition