Through two high-elevation winter seasons, extraordinary amounts of snow fell, even above the high totals typically experienced in the area. The team managed to avoid OSHA-recordable incidents by aggressive attention to snow clearing and ground salting, numerous safety huddles reviewing best practices for avoiding falls and mandated jobsite-wide use of ice traction work boot cleats.

Photo courtesy Jacobsen Construction

By integrating the expansion into the area’s natural topography, the design allows for grade-level entries on two floors. The lowest level houses the rental equipment shop, providing direct access to ski trails for school groups, while the middle floor serves as a day lodge for the general public. The top level, elevated above the main circulation areas, features a large gathering space with a wrap-around deck, perfect for hosting events. Four large, vertically folding glass walls open to create seamless indoor-outdoor access, offering nearly 360-degree views of competitions encircling the building.

One of the project team’s primary goals was to responsibly use the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation’s long-sought-after funds for this project. Extensive value engineering during preconstruction helped identify $2 million in savings. These solutions included removing a full story off the building’s design in favor of a three-story structure with larger and more cost-efficient floor plans and eliminating a cost-prohibitive access tunnel by relocating some of the building’s mechanical systems.