News
Dartmouth Skiway Lodge Wins Design Award
Owner: Dartmouth College
Architect: Banwell Architects
Consultant: SE Group
General Contractor: Trumbull-Nelson Construction Co.
Lebanon, NH – American Institute of Architects New Hampshire honored Banwell Architects of Lebanon, New Hampshire for the design of the new Dartmouth Skiway Lodge in Lyme, New Hampshire. Jurors found the lodge to be an environmentally responsible building designed to satisfy a number of objectives including honoring the long legacy of skiing at Dartmouth College.
The new 17,000 square foot base lodge replaced the outgrown 40-year-old original lodge. With four times the space and updated food court, seating, and rental facilities, the new Skiway lodge can provide accommodations to be competitive with other areas. A wall near the main entry displays historic skiing images.
“Our goal was to celebrate the sport and its history at Dartmouth, while providing for the level of service expected today,” said architect Stuart White. “The design is intended to reflect the Outing Club tradition at Dartmouth College.”
The lodge was designed in a wide-angled “V” tucked against the hillside to make the most out of the site. The shape creates a skier plaza and ticketing area in the front of the building protected from a prevailing northeast wind. The second floor level along the long legs of the building has large windows providing daylight and views of the slopes.
The design addressed “green” issues including energy use, material selection, indoor air quality and natural light. The tight building envelope was checked and remediated during construction by infrared survey. Energy use has been conserved through the use of efficient lighting fixtures, windows to allow maximum daylight, recovery at the kitchen hood, and high efficiency small boilers with sealed combustion. Fresh air supply is controlled by CO2 sensors and indoor air quality benefits from the use of low VOC finishes and natural materials.
Locally harvested white pine timber frame and maple wainscot were cut from well-managed forests including bent ash frames from Dartmouth College’s land. Other local materials included New Hampshire granite at exterior piers and tables made from locally available green certified maple. Hardwood paneling from the existing building was salvaged and refinished for use in some areas.
The building is two stories with all skier services and administration at the ground level and cafeteria seating in the two wings at the upper level, offering the best views of ski slopes. An upper level deck provides additional viewing and seating on sunny days. The deck connects with the south terrace, also accessible by an outside stair from the plaza.
The administration is located directly opposite the drop-off area, which permits staff to manage traffic flow. The location also permits visual observation of both area lifts, one to the northeast, the other to the southwest across the road. The “V” shape of the building creates two connected but separate dining spaces, allowing management to easily close off the larger space on days with few patrons or to create a more intimate setting for small crowds.
For more information, contact:
Architect:
Stuart White, AIA
Banwell Architects
Lebanon, New Hampshire
603-448-3778
Dartmouth Skiway Project Page
