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There are no roads to Ullrhof. Construction materials, equipment, and labor move up the mountain by snowcat or snowmobile in winter, and by whatever limited access exists during the brief shoulder seasons. We designed site access specifically for snowcat use, accounting for the realities of how construction actually happens at this elevation and in this environment.

In addition, though Snowmass Resort has a water treatment plant, there’s no pressurized distribution system running up the mountain. Water is pumped to underground storage tanks, and those tanks have to be positioned high enough on the mountain to generate sufficient pressure to meet fire sprinkler minimums.

RFE designed the water supply system for the new building, including tank placement and sizing to ensure that sprinkler systems would have the pressure they need under worst-case conditions. 

Beyond that, site design had to function in both summer and winter conditions. To ensure easy access in snowy and summer conditions, decks and patios are elevated 18 to 24 inches above grade so that snow cats and groomers can set the snow surface level during the season, allowing skiers and snowboarders to ski directly up to the building, step off, and walk in.

That same logic shaped the grading design around the building. Skiers can coast on gentle grades; snowboarders can’t push once they’ve stopped. RFE held grades tight in the approach zones, targeting 2 to 5 percent, to make sure the site works for all users arriving on snow. 

All of the standard high-altitude considerations apply here as well, such as deep utility burial for freeze protection, snow storage planning, and designing systems to perform reliably through the full range of mountain conditions.