Park City, Utah

While at graduate school James was asked by United Park City Mines CEO Hank Rothwell and Ecosign president Paul Mathews to create a resort village plan for UMCM land holdings which are situated high up over Park City next to storied Deer Valley Resort. Paul had devised a way to connect these lands via gondolas to Park City. The site is very tight and steep, but with creative planning JWT came up with a creative solution anchoring the village with a 200 room hotel with several small accommodation buildings carefully crafted around it. Working in a variety of mediums including physical models the designs could be tested for solar exposure, topographical compatibility and architectural massing. The hotel; along with its sister building; create a crescent shaped “beachfront” to the planned quad chairlift and terminal ski runs. The architecture is envisioned in a romantic and modern day Parks style given the unique “mountain top” site high up above Park City and accessed via Gondola.  Large long and timber posts, columns and braces support a variety of roofs which step up and down with the terrain created a stunning visual both from within the village as well as when skiing or hiking above it.