On May 4, construction began on the La Gorce Family Intern Village at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). The 30-bed housing project will support interns conducting research, monitoring, education, and advocacy work.

Designed by Boston-based CO–G Architecture with Amy Nowacki Architect LLC serving as local architect, the Intern Village was created for resilience, featuring three elevated buildings totaling 7,700 square feet of housing. SCCF and its neighboring partners, the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium and the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), will utilize the housing for seasonal interns.

Related Story: La Gorce Family Intern Village Designed for Resilience

Stevens Construction started site survey work this week on the Village, which is located on Sanibel-Captiva Road, where SCCF previously had its intern housing next to its headquarters.

“The La Gorce Family Intern Village is essential to our mission. It allows us to bring researchers, students, and conservationists back to the island at a moment when that work is more urgent than ever,” said SCCF CEO James Evans. “After the storms, rebuilding wasn’t just about replacing what was lost — it was about creating infrastructure that supports long-term stewardship of this landscape. This project ensures that the next generation of environmental work on Sanibel has a place to live, learn, and collaborate.”

At the heart of the campus, shared structures — an exterior amphitheater, a connective deck, and a pavilion — create a sequence of communal spaces that foster exchange and education. The amphitheater, carved as an oversized circular clearing between two housing buildings, acts as an informal daily living room and a flexible public space for field classes, lectures, and performances. The pavilion, conceived as the campus’s family room, accommodates shared meals, workshops, and hands-on ecological learning.

Each housing building is organized around an engaged porch: a recessed, screened outdoor room that anchors the plan. Shaped as a triangle, the porch reduces interior corners and mitigates wind pressure during hurricanes. It increases points of roof attachment and consolidates the vulnerable roof edge to a single side, while deep overhangs control southern solar exposure along highly glazed shared spaces. The porch presses gently into the shared programs of the plan, introducing spatial differentiation without interrupting continuity. Inside, a wall of green-stained millwork marks the dramatic vaulted kitchen elevation.

“What makes the Village unique is the community it supports. Residents arrive in response to the rhythms of the island itself — whether for sea turtle nesting, migratory bird patterns, or coastal research — so the architecture is constantly inhabited in cycles tied directly to the landscape,” said Elle Gerdeman, Principal, CO-G Architecture.

As part of its construction management services, Stevens Construction spent nearly two years working with the client and architect to design the project in accordance with Sanibel building codes, as well as SCCF’s sustainability and budget goals

“Building on a barrier island comes with real challenges, from logistics and materials to meeting stringent resilience requirements. This project required close coordination across the entire team to deliver a structure that is sustainable, durable, and efficient to construct,” said Mark Stevens, Principal, Stevens Construction. “We’re proud to be part of a project that not only meets those demands but contributes meaningfully to the recovery and future of the Sanibel community.”

SCCF graciously thanks the following donors who made the La Gorce Family Intern Village possible: Roberta and Philip Puschel, The La Gorce Family, Laurie and Bill Harkey, The Boler Family Foundation, Justine and James Mullens, Sally Wilmeth and Terry Geurkink, Leslie Fleischner, Nancy and Bob Brooks, Elle Gerdeman and Kyle Coburn, and Lisa and Roger Davis.