Eco Mountain High

Eco Mountain High

April 14, 2008

By Alia Akkam
Photography by Cameron R. Neilson

Hotel Terra is viewing luxury through a more authentic lens. "It's a new definition of luxury; providing clean air and fresh water," says Erin Langan, senior interior designer at Seattle-based Callison, who worked on the Jackson Hole, Wyoming, project.

"The perception of luxury and sustainability has been in conflict, but it doesn't have to be the case," agrees Jim Moore, associate principal at Callison who spearheaded the architectural footprint of the hotel. "It can be the same goal."

The 72-room condo-hotel property is awaiting LEED certification (it will be the fifth LEED-certified U.S. hotel), and even has a director of sustainability on the premises to oversee its myriad eco-friendly initiatives. Energy-saving design abounds throughout the property. The roof is made of 100 percent Eco-Shake shingles; Fly Ash, a coal-burning byproduct, replaces up to 50 percent of the cement used in the concrete; and Energy Star windows and low-flow toilets are in place. More than 90 percent of the hotel interiors capture natural light, while 80 percent of the striking steel used throughout the property features recycled content.

Natural mattresses integrate un-bleached, un-dyed cotton and recycled springs, and guests wash their hair with organic shampoo. Hotel Terra's pristine setting, adjacent to Grand Teton National Park, naturally was inspiration, giving shape to the design concept of the "modern mountain."

"You find a lot of wood columns and beams in traditional mountain lodges, but we took a lighter touch," says Moore. As Langan points out, the goal was to reference the cultural soul of the area while keeping the design clean and modern. For example, they shunned ubiquitous, hackneyed antlers. Instead, chandeliers are crafted based on an abstraction of branches. Reclaimed cedar, meanwhile, suggests a more chic, contemporary log cabin.

The modern theme continues with steel-detailed rough-hewn lumber and a flagstone fireplace set against red tiles; half-cut white pebbles mark the entry and reception area; and quality, contemporary art meshes with the overall sophistication of the property. "As you walk through the first floor, it's not like walking through a traditional lodge. Art leads the way," says Langan.

For more information, visit www.callison.com or www.hotelterrajacksonhole.com.

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