The Mount Bachelor Lodge + Spa

Bend, Oregon, USA

Located 30 minutes south of Bend, Oregon on the meandering Deschutes River, between Sunriver and La Pine, The Mount Bachelor Lodge + Spa was envisioned to be a one-of-a-kind luxury boutique hotel and spa retreat… an unparalleled hospitality destination where guest can be completely immersed in the tranquility of nature, escape their daily hustle and bustle, and restore themselves in one of the nation’s most serene settings.

With 11 premiere guest suites, and 10 fully-equipped 2-bedroom cabins, it’s the type of place you dream about escaping to for a weekend getaway or honeymoon, the kind of place you book when you’re family’s been planning a long-awaited reunion or wedding, but it’s also the king of place where you can drop in for the day, make use of the properties extensive amenities, and return home later in the day fully restored.

Architecturally, The Mount Bachelor Lodge + Spa was envisioned to be a modern and sophisticated interpretation of America’s iconic rustic lodges, drawing inspiration from Civilian Conservation Corp.-era lodges that have become landmarks of the west: Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood, The Ahwahnee in Yosemite, or Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park.

Drawing from local precedents and forbearers of local modernism, The Lodge also aims to be bold yet elegant in design, a Central Oregon architectural landmark weaving in the region’s vernacular materials, and integrating into it’s landscape on the edge of the Deschutes River – a property mixed with sage, bitter brush and manzanita steppe, groves of Quaking aspen, peripheral ponderosa pines, and wetlands lined with red osier dogwood and native willows.

In its form, as you approach The Mount Bachelor Lodge + Spa’s main building and Fitness Center, the structures appear to rise out of the brush steppe, creating a continuation of the ground plane, intentionally camouflaging into the landscape. Perhaps most notable and striking from the buildings’ exterior are the structure’s timber “V”-shaped exoskeleton, and stepping inside, the associated timber-beam roof membrane structure. A collective structural system that aims to follow, but also push the boundaries, of a long lineage of dynamic and beautiful timber-framed buildings that have captured the spirit of construction in the Pacific Northwest, and hopefully further inspire future generations of designers and builders to test what’s possible with the regionally dominant building material.

Surrounding the exoskeleton, a vertically oriented cedar “willow” screen obscures the cluster of buildings, providing privacy and shade, but also erodes in a patch-work fashion to clear views and reveal the buildings’ interior. And, while the extensive curtainwall glazing system wraps around the buildings’ exterior envelope, two heavy and massive lava rock-clad fireplaces anchor The Lodge and Pavilion, drawing in visitors to their equally sizable yet cozy hearths, and creating a focal point for the buildings.

In total, The Mount Bachelor Lodge + Spa features:

18,530 sf. Lodge with 11 premiere guest suites (9 of which with their own private soaking hot tubs), an expansive dining area, theater, office/conference spaces, 3 bars, billiard room and game areas (think ping pong and foosball), a dedicated craft and play room for little kids, and a dedicated commercial kitchen/restaurant.
(10) 700 sf., 2-bedroom/1-bath cabins, each with their own kitchen, living room, and private outdoor deck.
6,220 sf. Fitness Center with locker rooms, weights, stationary bikes and treadmills, yoga area, and half-court basketball court, also used for pickleball.
1,510 sf. Pavilion for outdoor dining, lounging and special events, equipped with it’s own kitchen/bar.
550 sf. Sauna + Cold Plunge pavilion.
(2) natural swimming pools totaling 5,400 sf. “Natural” meaning naturally filtered/cleaned with no chemicals.
324 sf. communal outdoor soaking pool/hot tub.
1-acre Meadow Lake, perfect for expanded swimming, fishing and paddling.

From a sustainability perspective, the 31,750 sf facility is powered by 420, 420kW photovoltaic panels stationed on the south side of the property for a net-zero energy set up. The total 176,400kW system provides power for The Lodge and Fitness Center’s in-floor hydronic radiant heating/cooling systems, the ducted mini-splits that serve each of the guest suites and cabins, and the facility’s spa systems.

Further, all of the buildings incorporate a comprehensive green roof system minimizing solar gain and overall increasing the thermal insulation of the buildings. While the soil and vegitation gain only the equivalent of R-6 as a measurement of thermal resistance, the primary benefit of the green roof is through thermal mass and evapotranspiration, providing a reduction in cooling loads by up to 70% in summer by preventing the roof from heating up.