For more than forty years, Hollyhock has been a place where people come to reconnect, with themselves, one another, and the land.
As our community evolves, so must the campus that holds these experiences.
That’s why we’re excited to share the next step in Hollyhock’s evolution: eight new hand built, thoughtfully designed, single-occupancy cabins.
These cabins are more than new accommodations. They’re an investment in the long-term resilience of Hollyhock, our community, and the island we call home.
We are thrilled to announce an anchor partner in funding this project: Island Coastal Economic Trust.
What’s Changing?
Hollyhock is adding eight new solo-occupancy cabins to campus over the next two years, thoughtfully designed to create more space for rest, privacy, reflection, and year-round learning and gathering.
Here’s the short version: we’re not increasing how many people can be on campus at once. We’re changing the mix of rooms we offer, so more of our existing capacity can go to people who need or want a private space to stay.
Ensuring long term resilience
These cabins are also a step toward Hollyhock’s long term financial stability. Private accommodations generate steadier revenue, and that steadiness matters. As Cortes Island’s largest employer, this project will ensure more stable jobs. It supports our ability to offer living wages to staff and keeps Hollyhock financially viable for years to come.
Increasing accessibility
For many participants, a private room is not simply a preference. It can make attending a program or training possible.
Older adults, people with disabilities or health considerations, those recovering from trauma, and participants from diverse cultural backgrounds often require private accommodations to fully participate in immersive learning experiences.
As Hollyhock continues to expand access through scholarships and partnerships, offering more private accommodations is one way we can make our programs more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible.
Built with the land
Like everything we’ve built, these cabins begin with the land. Rather than asking the forest to make room for us, we’re designing the cabins to fit gently within it, preserving mature trees and working with the existing landscape.
Supporting the local community
Where feasible, we’ll source materials close to home, including purchasing timber from Klahoose Forestry, and we’ll collaborate with local contractors, suppliers, and craftspeople. By investing locally, we strengthen regional supply chains while celebrating the knowledge and creativity that already exist on Cortes.
What’s being built
Each cabin is a small, single-occupancy sleeping cabin, sited to work around existing trees, rocks, and land features rather than clearing new ground. They’ll share the existing bathhouse at the tent site, so we’re not building new major infrastructure alongside them.
Construction is planned in two phases: three cabins finished by April 2027, and five more by early 2028. Much of the build will happen off-site in the shop, then installed on location, to keep on-campus disruption as short as possible.
Stay tuned for updates!
Island Coastal Economic Trust
The Trust is investing in this project through the Capital and Innovation funding program under the Culture and Nature-Based Tourism priority area.
More information on Island Coastal Economic Trust’s website.
