“Saddleback was looking to expand dining options on the mountain, and our inspiration was a picnic table in the woods where the ski instructors used to hang out. It was their secret spot with a hidden aspect to it, which is how the building came to have a humble, rustic look. We looked at old Swedish ski buildings and the technique of coating locally sourced wood siding with a natural pine tar finish. The black exterior in the snowy landscape is then contrasted by the warm colorful interior of the building. When you approach the structure, it appears small, and you enter through thick doors that make the portal more intimate. Inside, it opens to a large dining space with a panoramic view. There’s an industrial aesthetic with the nest of exposed steel overhead which is offset by the use of a cozy color palette.

“The structure is three-sided, with one side featuring floor-to-ceiling glass toward the big view. Bird safety was something we were talking about from the beginning because of the building’s location in the middle of the rare Bicknell’s thrush’s habitat. Working closely with Maine Audobon throughout the project, we designed a simple and low-cost screen to be installed in front of the windows that can be put up in the spring and taken down in the winter when the birds have left the area. The removable screens allow for adaptability and testing but also provide an opportunity to educate visitors about bird safety. Plus, we thought it could be fun to make it an annual spring ritual when the bird screens are added.

“The top of the building features a living green roof with hay-scented ferns and low-bush blueberries; the idea is to recreate the natural alpine meadow above the building, as if the ground had been lifted up for the building to be tucked into. Instead of a poured concrete foundation, the entire structure is built on posts that minimize disruption of the watershed.

“It’s nice to hear that people are surprised when they walk into the building. The vision was a collaboration, and we tried to create something that feels truly different— something you can’t find at any other ski mountain in New England and beyond.”

—Jonathan Toews, principal, Davies Toews Architecture