Nestled in the Rocky Mountains of northern Idaho, the Humbird Hotel at Schweitzer redefines mountain architecture with modern construction materials such as exposed cross-laminated timber (CLT), glue-laminated timber (glulam), board-formed concrete, metal, and glass.
Skylab Architecture, the project’s architect, describes the resort as “Seattle urbanite meets Idaho ski bum.”
This 31-unit, 6,186 m2 (66,580 sf) boutique hotel is phase one of a plan to revitalize the Schweitzer Mountain, transforming it into a vibrant, European-inspired mountain village. The careful positioning of the hotel in a notch on the mountain, sitting at the confluence of two ranges, Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains, unites the existing structures, creating narrow walkable streets and multiple covered parking areas.
The lodge offers stunning views of Lake Pend Oreille and serves as a ski-in, ski-out hub for year-round activities. The material color palette draws upon the architectural heritage of the Schweitzer basin, paying homage to the location.
The hotel’s design takes advantage of the steep site, incorporating a sheltered parking garage to protect it from year-round heavy snowfall, which can get up to 10,160 mm (400 in.) annually. The exterior showcases board-formed concrete, metal panels, timber siding, expansive glass, and glimpses of wood ceilings. The use of mass timber construction, including CLT, pays homage to the area’s logging history and enhances the resort’s warm, inviting atmosphere.
Inside, primary gathering spaces feature exposed CLT, glulam beams, and columns, offering a modern twist on a classic lodge aesthetic. The lobby and welcome area, situated above the underground parking, are inspired by vintage ski culture and local history, with guest rooms on three floors providing views of Lake Pend Oreille.
The hotel also boasts two amenity areas: the Glass Room, a communal living space, and Crow’s Bench, a fine dining restaurant. Guests can relax by the grand lobby fireplace, use the co-working space, or enjoy the outdoor terrace with an oversized hot tub and panoramic mountain views.
A closer look at the materials and the suppliers follows:
Exterior
- Windows: Andersen Commercial
- Metal roof panels: AEP Span
- Timber siding: Montana Timber Products. Wood type: western red cedar; profile: Shiplap; dimensions: 152 mm (6 in.) boards, 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) lap; and color: Charwood Ebony.
- CLT: Vaagen Timbers
- Entrance doors: Kawneer Company Inc.
Interior
- Custom white oak flooring at the reception and main stair, rough-sawn wide planks with saw/skip marks for slip resistance, and character by Anthology Woods. The wood’s finish was Traffic HD, a water-based finish by Bona.
- Exposed mass timber throughout the public areas and restaurant.
- Laser-cut and back-lit blackened steel bar face featuring an Alpine-inspired signature Humbird pattern and Crow’s Bench logo.
Key subconsultants on the project were:
Acoustical engineer, Listen Acoustics; Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance consultant, Marx Okubo; civil engineers, James Sewell Associates and T.O. Engineers; code consultant, Code Unlimited; contractor, Jackson Contractor Group; electrical engineer, Interface Engineering; envelope consultant, RWDI; geo-technical engineers, ALLWEST, Budinger & Associates, and GeoEngineers; interior designer, Skylab; landscape architects, THK Associates; lighting designer and mechanical engineer, Interface Engineering; specifications writers, JLC Architecture and Consulting PC; and structural engineer, DCI.
