Inside Our Studio
Just like life, leadership is an journey. The Leadership Studio at Muskoka Woods is modeled after this journey. Visitors often comment that the building has a sense of movement, and they're right. We think leadership is impossible without moving forward, and the Studio was designed as a reminder of that. We hope it is a space that inspires creativity and innovative thinking, and that stirs leaders to change their world.
The building, designed by David V. Snell Architect in association with HOK, sits on Lake Rosseau's sparkling shores, surrounded by the pristine Muskoka wilderness. Wheelchair accessible, and energy-efficient, the 4,000-foot building is heated by a masonry heater and fireplaces strategically placed throughout. Though every corner of the Studio is designed as useful teaching space, guests never see it as a classroom - it is a cozy and inviting place to relax with friends, classmates, or colleagues.
Within the space you'll find a hands-on art studio, a 1,000-volume library, a meeting room that doubles as a bookbindery, and both indoor and outdoor amphitheatre-style seating spaces that can convert into a stage, or gallery space, or indoor game area, or... anything you can dream of! You'll also find indoor and outdoor comfy spaces for unwinding and debriefing, and a central kitchen for baking bread and sharing meals. Along with almost 1,000 acres of recreational space, there are endless ways to use the Studio for your team's leadership journey.
Have a closer look at the Leadership Studio. Visit the photo gallery.
Photos
Beyond the Studio
Healthy active lifestyle is a guiding principle at the Leadership Studio, and this practice comes to life when we step outside the building. A ready supply of snowshoes and rubber boots make outdoor adventures a cinch for urbanites and offer all-season access to our 2 km trail. Easily adaptable as a fitness trail, a reflective trail, a change-management trail, or a team-building trail, the route is dotted with outdoor teaching spaces-we call them "nests"-where small groups can gather for learning moments.
The Bridge
The 210-foot suspension bridge that links the Leadership Studio to our all-season accommodations is not only the most direct path to the Studio, it is also a continual reminder that leaders must be bridge-builders and must also be a bridge themselves.
Labyrinth
The winding path that ushers participants deeper into the Studio reminds us that leadership, like life, rarely follows a straight line. Not only does the path offer wheelchair access to the Studio's second level, it also doubles as a teaching space. Participants can pause on the path and reflect on strategic questions etched on teaching boards along the way.
Art Studio
The Art Studio is the creative hub of the Leadership Studio where we combine a huge variety of tactile and electronic learning tools, to engage every kind of learner. Fanciful tree-shaped shelves constructed by a local craftsman hold every kind of art supply, and custom-made tables feature versatile surfaces that switch out to hold whiteboards, slate boards, flannel boards, puzzles and games. By engaging your intuitive right brain through creativity, you ignite innovative thinking and can see problems in a new light. Sure, not everyone is an artist, but after their time in the Art Studio participants will gain a better understanding of their culture and how to have an impact on it.
The Printing Press
Hundreds of years ago the invention of the printing press marked a turning point in communication and Christianity. In the same way, the Printing Press is a place to rethink our approach to the world-to bring together disparate ideas and create something completely innovative. Structured as a meeting room, this space is all about communication. After all, 70% of the work of a leader is communication, and 70% of leadership errors come down to communication! The Printing Press is also a place where participants can create their own journals, linocuts, and prints-lasting mementos of their time at the Leadership Studio.
The Library
Towering windows make the Library a bright, inviting space to stroll through our extensive collection of books, focusing on seven main topics: leadership development, theology, spiritual formation, healthy active lifestyles, emotional and relational IQ, social justice, and the arts. The 14-foot shelves are flanked by cushioned window seats, allowing readers to sit back and absorb a great classic, download the latest thinking on the Library's Kindle, or read the day's news on an iPad.
Amphitheatre
The main teaching area comfortably seats 35 or more people for group learning times. Strewn with plush cushions, it's an inviting space to engage students who may learn best outside a conventional classroom setting. Incredibly versatile, the space can be transformed into a stage by removing the cushions, or a gallery to showcase creative endeavors, or even an indoor game space.
The Kitchen
Just like a home, the Kitchen is the central gathering point at the Leadership Studio. It's a place to reconnect with your senses, by eating and drinking from handmade local pottery, breathing in the smell of fresh bread, digging into healthy, hearty food, and having great conversation with friends and colleagues. Overhead screens may show photos from the day's activities, artwork from great masters, PowerPoint slides for teaching, or just fun cartoons. [link to Healthy Food page]
The Nest (Indoor)
At the end of a day of learning and outdoor activity, the Hearth is a place to unwind and truly connect with one another by a cozy fire. It is where friendships deepen over steaming cups of hot chocolate and, often, where real breakthrough happens. Opaque Sliding glass doors can double as teaching boards, making this a comfortable learning area, while at the same time, instruments and games give it the feel of a family cottage.
The Nest (Outdoor)
Mirroring the indoor Hearth, this covered porch blurs the boundaries between inside and outside spaces. From spring to fall, participants can gather on cushioned benches and appreciate the warmth of the fire, but also the fresh breeze coming through the screened windows. It can be a place to learn, to debrief, to connect or just to appreciate the 180-degree views of Lake Rosseau and the surrounding woods.
The Hearth
A larger version of the indoor amphitheatre space, the deck can seat up to 80 people. While it's a natural teaching area, it's also a perfect place to gather around the fire to roast marshmallows or sing along to a guitar. Our outdoor forno oven makes for flawless pizza nights, and learning gets cosmic with the help of our telescope.
