Aspire at Spanish Peaks

Aspire at Spanish Peaks is designed to create a welcoming, modern, active community space for this family-oriented resort near Big Sky, Montana. Built on a sloping brownfield site, Aspire is designed to uniquely fit its rugged mountain setting—capturing sweeping views while minimizing environmental impact through strategic reductions in embodied carbon, energy consumption, and water use. The building’s orientation harnesses passive solar gain and optimizes on-site power generation, all while serving as a gateway and trailhead to the endless slopes and trails of the surrounding Rocky Mountain wilderness.

Anchoring the building and offering commanding views of Lone Peak, the lodge restaurant and adjacent roof deck serve as the communal hub and après-adventure gathering spot.

Case Study

Programming

The Trailhead lobby space is as much a point of arrival for the building as a central gathering space to meet friends. A communal table anchors the space and doubles as a place to layout maps from the adjacent library and plan the next adventure. Its central location in the buildings allows easy access to the adjacent restaurant, outfitter, and roof deck.

Taking on the air of classic bike shops and ski huts, the Outfitter is the place to grab your bike or skis, gear up, and hit the trails. It also serves as communal lounge that may host a race watch party one day, and ski tuning lessons the next.

The social heart of Aspire is the Lodge Restaurant. Offering a commanding view of Lone Peak, the lodge adjacent roof deck serves as the communal hub and après-adventure gathering spot.

The Gym holds a half-court basketball and sport court. A climbing wall anchors one end of the space while strategically placed clerestory windows bring in balanced natural light.

A cardio and weight room open up to an adjacent fitness courtyard with lap pool.

By employing a mass timber structure sourced from the Northwest, paired with wood studs for secondary framing, the design prioritizes reduced embodied carbon as a central criterion in material selection.

Mass Timber

Construction Process

Perched at the east end of the pool deck, the hot tubs provide elevated panoramic views and a place to recover after a long day on the mountain.