Last week, we packed up the crew and headed down the Cape for our annual corporate retreat.  It had been a while since I had to attend a corporate retreat and as we all know, there are good retreats and there are bad retreats; which this would be was yet to be seen.  So it was with a little apprehension that I packed my overnight bag and headed south for the two hour drive.  In route, my husband called to wish me luck, "Remember the trick to making it over the hot coals barefooted is not to look down."  He jests, but one never knows.

Fortunately, my worries were unfounded. The setting was beautiful— a beach house in the seaside hamlet of Brewster. The weather was perfect and the opportunity to socialize with everyone was welcomed. 

For dinner, we walked to a small local inn. The proprietor was expecting us, but the couple on their second honeymoon was not.  I'm sure their idea of a romantic dinner for two did not include Maugel Architects. (Brent picking up their check seemed to ease their pain.)

After dinner, we had a bonfire on the beach. If you have a question about the constellations, ask Jon Cocker; he knows all. I went to bed at a respectable hour but I hear the younger crowd reveled late into the evening. Amazingly, they were also the first up in the morning. Oh, to be thirty again...

On day two we got down to business and reviewed 2012 business and plans for 2013. But the highlight of the retreat, for me, came in the afternoon when Gail O'Rourke from the Room To Dream Foundation came to discuss her charity and host the design competition. Room to Dream is a wonderful Boston-based non-profit organization dedicated to creating healing environments for children and adolescents suffering from chronic illnesses.  They're always looking for donations--take a look at their site and see if there's any way you can help.

Gail presented a case study of a child and then each design studio had thirty minutes to design a room and present their drawings to a panel of judges. Each studio had completely different visions but all captured the spirit of the child perfectly. The creativity, the level of detail, and the ability to take basic requirements and transform them into an imaginary sanctuary--all in 30 minutes--were astounding. It was great to see all of Maugel's talent in action.